A Raven's Tale
by crazygunbladergirl
Summary: He had no strong ambitions as a child, except to spend time with his dear friends. When the senators showed up, his life spiraled downward, thrusting him into the position of king. This is the tale of a raven named Naesala. pairings later on.
1. Chapter 1: These Were Simpler Times

_Author's Intro: For once I'm writing something on a more serious note, but I've been planning this one out for a while now. Since not much of Naesala's past is really revealed in the games, I'm making some stuff up. Also, bear with me if I end up changing small details. It's been a while since I've played Path of Radiance so I'm sure I'll end up mixing something up, haha.  
__Each chapter is going to begin with an introduction told from Naesala's point of view, but the story is told in third person._

_Oh, and by the way, there are going to be MAJOR spoilers for both games so don't read it or at least don't get upset if you haven't finished either one._

_Okay, enough of my babbling. crazygunbladergirl now presents..._

* * *

**A Raven's Tale**

_I never thought my life would end up becoming so serious when I grew older. As a kid the only thing I ever had to worry about was getting away with the perfect prank. I didn't have to worry about leading an entire nation. Those were the days..._

Chapter 1 -- These Were Simpler Times

These were the days before an ambitious young king tried to start a war on the continent. These were the days before a dark goddess was released and a band of rebels had to save the world from utter destruction. These were simpler times, times when the only issues among the bird tribes were mere matters of territory. There had been no betrayals yet. These were the times when the raven clan got along well with the hawks and herons. Serenes Forest still stood elegant and proud, and the heron clan was thriving in those days. This is where our tale begins, in a small clearing of the forest, where young royal fledglings are playing a game of hide-and-seek.

The eldest heron child, Lillia, was only a girl then. She had recently entered adulthood, but she still enjoyed playing games with her younger siblings. Rafiel, peaceful and meek, always found a decent hiding spot, but he was often upset when he was found. The youngest at the time, Reyson, was more aggressive than his older siblings. The herons blamed the young prince's unconventional ways on his newest friend, a member of the raven tribe. This particular raven often visited with the Kilvan ambassador, an older raven named Nealuchi. Nealuchi had adopted Naesala after his parents both died. The young raven had never known his real parents, but he rarely ever even thought about that.

Enter the raven child upon this peaceful scene. Lillia was "it", and she was currently trying to find Reyson among a cluster of bushes. She could sense her brother nearby, but then a new aura approached her from behind, temporarily distracting her.

"Oh, it's you," she whispered, turning to see the young raven boy staring at her. "Little Naesala, would you like to play hide-and-seek?"

Naesala laughed. "Hide-and-seek? I'm the best at this game! I could easily find people because I blend in so well with the shadows. You herons stick out too much."

Lillia sighed as she let the half-insult slip by her. "You have to promise to be good, little one. Remember, we are much more delicate than you. Father often worries that you may accidentally hurt us with your rough-housing."

The raven shrugged. "I'll be careful. Maybe." Then he scampered off to look for Reyson. He was still too young to fly at this point, though his wings were almost fully-developed. He snuck around the forest until he spotted a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. "I found you!" he shouted as he pounced on the white object behind the bushes.

"Oh no no! Help!" The heron cowered in fear before realized who it was. "Oh. Naesala?"

"That's an awful hiding spot, Reyson," Naesala remarked. "You can pick something better than _that_."

"Well, I don't want to get too well-hidden," the young Reyson replied. "Father would get upset if I didn't show up in time for dinner. That would be so rude of me to be late."

Naesala blinked in confusion. "You mean you have a set time for dinner? Don't you just go look for it yourself?"

"Of course not! We only eat fish and nuts and berries. We don't need to hunt like you do. Rafiel told me that ravens have to hunt and k... kill their food. Or they eat... dead things." Reyson almost turned green at the thought of killing an animal for food.

Naesala laughed. "Reyson, you're so silly! You herons have such silly rules. The fish you eat are dead, too."

Reyson stared down at his feet. "Rafiel also told me that you ravens like to steal from innocent people."

"It's so much fun!" Naesala exclaimed. "I went along on my first raid just yesterday! Those silly humans had no idea what to do! We got so much stuff!"

"You said the... the H-word!" Reyson gasped.

"What, human? Well, that's what they are." The raven boy waved his hand casually. "What, you actually call them _beorc_? That's so old-person..."

"But it's _proper_, Naesala."

"Say human, Reyson," Naesala ordered with a grin. "Come on, don't be a chicken!"

"I won't say it!" Reyson crossed his arms firmly. "Father told me that I'm learning too many bad things from you already!"

Naesala took a deep breath. "Human human human human! You know what other words I can teach you? I learned a lot of fun swears from the humans we raided yesterday!"

"Oh, stop it!" Reyson covered his ears. "You're so mean!"

This phrase caused Naesala to instantly cease his taunting. "I'm... I'm not mean!" he protested. "I'm just trying to teach you how to have fun!" A child-like guilt crept into him. "I'm sorry. I made you upset," he mumbled. "Can we still be friends?"

Reyson looked up at him and nodded. "Okay. I forgive you." He glanced up at the sky. "It's getting dark. We should get back before Father and the others start to worry."

Naesala reluctantly agreed. Going back to the others meant having to act formal again. He hated having to act formal around the adults. They were so stuffy and concerned about traditions and such. He would rather go out and raid another ship. However, he forced himself to return to where the adults were gathered. Lillia and Rafiel had already returned, and they sighed in relief when they spotted their youngest brother.

"You were almost late," Rafiel remarked. "Did you two get into any trouble?"

"Of course not!" Naesala quickly answered. "Why would you think that?"

Dinner went ever-so-slowly. The children all had to sit at the same table as the adults. Reyson, Rafiel, and Lillia all had mature table manners, keeping their napkins in their laps and eating in small bites. Naesala felt uncomfortable sitting around them, having to act polite so as not to upset King Lorazieh. However, he still ate large bites of fish and reached over the table to grab a second helping of berries.

"I would be willing to pass the berries to you, little one," Lillia told him as he started stuffing his face full of blueberries. "All you need to do is ask."

Naesala was about to reply when a stern glance from Nealuchi reminded him that in Serenes he was not supposed to talk with food in his mouth. In Kilvas that kind of behavior was perfectly okay. He swallowed the mass of berries in his mouth. "But the berries are _right there_. I could just grab them." He glanced over to see Reyson also reaching across the table to grab some berries. "See? Reyson agrees."

Lillia sighed. "Dear Reyson, remember to ask for the berries, first. You are not a raven."

The adults were meanwhile discussing the queen's pregnancy. She was already in her third trimester, so the baby would be due any day now. Lillia listened to the conversation before asking her brothers' opinions on the matter.

"What do you think, Reyson? Rafiel? Will our new little sibling be a boy or a girl?"

"It does not matter to me," Rafiel responded gently. "Our new sibling will be a graceful heron, and we will take care of him or her no matter what."

Reyson thought for a moment. "I would like to have a little sister. She will have curly hair, and she'll follow me around."

"Now now, Reyson," Lillia whispered. "You cannot decide how the little one will act."

Naesala was then reminded of an old Kilvan custom. He decided to suggest it here. "How about we have a bet?"

"What's a bet?" Reyson asked innocently. However, Rafiel and Lillia both gasped in shock.

"_Gambling_? How could you suggest such a thing?" Rafiel remarked.

"We do not have bets in Serenes, little raven," Lillia explained. "We do not think it to be proper."

"Meh meh meh, proper proper proper!" Naesala rolled his eyes. "Don't you ever have any _fun_ here?"

Lillia shook her head. "Little raven, remember that our tribes are very different. Our form of fun is much less... well, it is not as risky as yours."

After dinner Reyson took Naesala aside to ask him more about this "bet".

"Oh, well it's lots of fun!" Naesala exclaimed. "One person promises to pay a certain amount if his prediction is wrong. If the other person is wrong, then that person pays. It's so exciting!"

Reyson thought for a moment. "So, if I say that our new sibling will be a girl, and I'm proven wrong, then I have to pay someone money?"

"Exactly." Naesala dug in his pocket and pulled out a pouch of gold. "Hm, I think I have 50 gold coins here. How about I'll bet you 25 coins that the new baby will be a boy?"

Reyson's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. "I don't... I don't have any gold coins," he mumbled.

"Oh... well then you'll have to pay something that's the same as 25 gold coins." Naesala glanced around until he spotted the emerald pendant Reyson was wearing. "If you lose, you have to give me that pendant."

The heron boy clutched at his pendant. "Oh no! I could never do that! Mother gave this to me for my birthday! She told me it is very special!"

"Chicken. It's no fun if there's no risk involved." Naesala held up his bag of coins. "I was going to save these so I can buy a cool cape to wear when I can start flying. If I lose the coins then I don't get my cape. Deal?"

Reyson gulped. "Okay... I'll bet the pendant."

Naesala grinned. "Yay! We have a deal! Isn't it exciting? Now I can't wait until the baby is born!"

Reyson's mouth slowly stretched across in a wide smile. "Yeah, this is kinda fun! It will make the wait so much more fun!"


	2. Chapter 2: Lessons From a New World

_I guess I'm part of the reason for why Reyson isn't your run-of-the-mill heron. I started corrupting him at an early age. He believed just about anything I told him. Of course, back then I was too innocent to even consider selling him out to a deranged beorc senator. Anyway, to further the poor heron's loss of innocence, I ended up teaching him some bits and pieces of the new tongue. If Lorazieh had ever found out he probably would have turned from his peaceful ways for sure..._

Chapter 2 -- Lessons from a New World

The next day Reyson woke up in excitement and ran to his mother's room to see if the new baby had come yet.

"Of course not, dear Reyson," his mother told him. "It could be another week before the new baby is born. You will have to be patient."

The young heron prince sighed and decided to go find Naesala. The raven had been staying in a guest room, but he was already awake. When Reyson opened the door he found Naesala standing on top of the bed and flapping his wings.

"What are you doing, Naesala?"

Naesala grinned. "I'm practicing my flying!"

Reyson frowned. "You can't fly yet. If you try to jump off the bed you'll fall and break something."

"Come on, I'm not all breakable like you are." Naesala flapped his wings hard and dove off the bed. He was able to hover for a moment before he lost air and came crashing to the ground.

Reyson ran over in concern. "Are you okay?"

Naesala sat up and rubbed his head. "Of course I'm okay!" He climbed back on top of the bed. "If I keep practicing then eventually I'll be able to stay up in the air!"

"That's not how Lillia learned how to fly."

Naesala ignored him and took another jump. This time he fluttered a few feet before falling smack down on his behind.

"Damn. That really hurt." He stood up and rubbed his butt.

Reyson's eyes widened. "What was _that_ word?"

"Which word? Damn?" Naesala grinned. "It's a human swear word. They use it all the time when their silly iron weapons miss us while we're raiding their ships."

"You know lots of h... of beorc swears, don't you?"

Naesala nodded. "Sit down. I'll teach you some!" He plopped down on the bed and patted the spot next to him.

"Okay... but if Rafiel finds out I'll get in big trouble." Reyson sat down on the fluffy mattress.

"Just don't tell him then." The raven cleared his throat. "Well, first there's 'damn.' They use that a lot, and it's often in conjunction with an object, like, 'Damn lance stopped working!' or 'Damn you stupid subhuman!'"

Reyson winced at the word "subhuman". "Don't say that word... It sounds so mean."

"Well, humans are mean. And stupid. Now let me continue." Naesala thought for a moment. "Let's see... there's another word they use a lot, but they used two different versions or something. Some of them would say 'dastard', like referring to us. Others changed the 'd' with a 'b'. I don't know what the difference is. I think they're just so stupid that they even mix up their swear words!"

Reyson was beginning to feel a bit adventurous at this point. "What's the worst swear word? Like, do they have an ultimate swear word that even they only use in emergencies?"

"Yeah. It's a really weird word. I think it starts with... yeah, it starts with an 'f'..."

"Nestling! Nestling, are you awake yet?" The middle-aged Nealuchi appeared at the doorway.

"Good morning, Sir Nealuchi!" Reyson stood up and bowed politely.

"Ah, good morning, young prince! I see you are up bright and early this morning!"

"Yes. I am excited about the new baby!"

Naesala groaned softly. All of the polite speech was beginning to give him a headache. "Did you want something, Nealuchi?"

The old crow nodded. He was used to the young raven's rudeness. "Nestling, it is time for us to leave. We should head out so that we reach Kilvas by nightfall."

"But I don't want to leave yet."

Reyson's jaw dropped. Never in his entire life had he witnessed a fledgling refuse to do what an adult told him.

"Now, Nestling, we will be visiting Serenes again in six months!" Nealuchi smiled. "You will see Prince Reyson again soon."

Naesala shook his head. "No. I want to see the new baby. I've never seen a new baby before!"

Nealuchi started to sweat a little. He feared the negative effect that Naesala's defiance was having on Reyson. "The baby won't be born for a while, and I have business back in Kilvas." Naesala's frown wasn't showing any signs of letting up. Finally, the old crow sighed. "All right. I suppose we can stay a few more days. But don't cause any trouble."

"I won't! Thank you so much, Nealuchi!" Naesala grinned as Nealuchi left the room.

Reyson turned to the raven boy in awe. "That was... that was so cool!"

"What was?"

"You told an adult that you didn't want to do what he wanted! Father would never have let me stay longer!"

"Psh. Reyson, you need to learn to say what you want." Naesala pointed out the window. "If you wanted to go on a long adventure, would your father let you?"

"Of course not. I'm not old enough to leave the forest," the heron prince responded.

"Well, if you kept asking and pleading, he would let you go. You have to remind them constantly that your wants and needs matter, too!"

"Really?" Reyson thought for a moment. "Well, I would like to be able to name the new baby. Lillia told me that she picked out my name. I should be allowed to pick out the name of the new baby!"

"That's right! You should!" Naesala smiled. "You should ask you parents. I don't see why they wouldn't let you pick a name."

"Well, you see..." Reyson stared down at his feet. "They've already picked out names. If it's a boy, they're naming him Reynaldo, and if it's a girl, they're naming her Luella."

Naesala stuck out his tongue. "Those are ugly names! Tell them that those are bad names for a baby!"

"They would get mad at me."

"So?" Naesala pulled on his jacket over top of his shirt and began walking out to get some breakfast. Reyson followed him. "Well, what do you want to name the baby, Reyson?" he asked.

"I want it to be a girl, and her name should be..." He thought for a moment. "I like the name Leanne."

"See? That's a much better name!" Naesala replied. "You go tell your father right now!"

King Lorazieh was about to pass them in the hallway. He nodded at the young boys. "Good morning, Naesala. Good morning, Reyson. Are you two ready for breakfast?"

"Yeah! I'm starving!" Naesala exclaimed. "Oh, Reyson has something to ask you. Go ask him, Reyson."

Reyson gupled. He hadn't had time to prepare what he was going to say. "W-well, um, Father... Could I name the new baby?"

Lorazieh chuckled. "Oh, dear Reyson, your mother and I have already picked out names. But you could give her a nickname if you would like."

Reyson shook his head. "I thought of a name that I really like! Please, can I name her?"

"Her? We don't even know if the baby will be a boy or a girl!" Lorazieh smiled. "What name were you thinking of, little Reyson?"

Reyson took a deep breath. "I want to name her Leanne."

Lorazieh was a little surprised by his son's forwardness, but one glance at Naesala reminded him that his youngest son was probably learning from the raven boy. "Say it politely, Reyson."

"Oh, I'm sorry! May I please name her Leanne?"

"That's better. Now, I will discuss it with your mother. It is a nice name, but we will have to see what she thinks. Now, run along, little one."

"See? I did it, Naesala!" Reyson exclaimed once they were outside in the woods.

Naesala shook his head. "Come on, that's the oldest trick in the book. The 'I'll think about it.' That usually means no. You have to be more forceful."

Reyson's smile disappeared. "You mean they won't name the baby Leanne?"

"Probably not."

The heron prince's eyes welled up with tears. "So I have to try harder?"

"It takes a lot to change their minds. Well, not Nealuchi. He's pretty nice. He lets me have lots of things." Naesala smirked. "He let me go on the raid. I should take you on a raid sometime, Reyson! You would like it!"

"But it involves stealing!" Reyson protested.

"Come on, Reyson. It's from _humans_. They totally deserve it."

The rest of the morning passed by fairly uneventfully. However, around noon Naesala and Reyson began hearing shouts from the center of the forest.

"What is going on?" Reyson asked. "Oh, I hope nothing terrible has happened!" They rushed over and saw two herons carrying the queen to one of the bedchambers. Lillia was running after them.

"Mother is about to give birth!" the heron princess exclaimed.

"That was fast," Naesala muttered. He really wanted to stay and play with Reyson some more.

"Can I watch?" Reyson asked excitedly. "I want to see the new baby come out!"

"No, Reyson. Go play with little Naesala."

"I want to see it, too!" Naesala frowned. "How come only girls get to go see that kind of stuff?"

Lillia sighed. "It really is not something that young boys should be seeing."

"But--"

However, Lillia had shut the door, forcing the two boys to leave and sulk in their defeat.

* * *

_I'm moving the comment space down here for now. Writing the beginning part reminded me of the "Wizard Swears" episode of Harry Potter Puppet Pals. Anyway, tell me what you all think of this story so far. I don't write that many serious stories._


	3. Chapter 3: The Heron Baby

_I still distinctly remember when the new heron baby was born. I remember feeling like an older brother to the baby because I saw her right after she was born. I even got to hold her, though I'm sure Lorazieh and his wife were cringing inside as they watched me carry their new child. Even back then, somewhere deep inside me, I had already claimed the baby as mine to protect and take care of._

Chapter 3 -- The Heron Baby

After several hours of waiting, Reyson and Naesala finally perked up at the sight of Lillia approaching them. She was wearing a relieved smile on her face.

"The baby is a girl," she told them. "She is doing fine, and so is Mother."

Reyson jumped up ecstatically. "It's a girl! I knew it! I have a baby sister! Can we see her now?"

Lillia sighed. "I don't know. Maybe you should let Mother rest. After all, the baby just came out--"

"Let's go!" Naesala grabbed Reyson's hand and ran past the heron princess. "I want to see her, too!"

They dashed into the darkened room where the queen lay with her new baby. King Lorazieh was standing next to the bed, beaming down at his new daughter. He looked up as his son and his friend entered the room.

"Would you like to see her, Reyson?" he asked in a gentle tone. "Just be quiet. She is still getting used to being in this world."

Reyson and Naesala eagerly ran over to the bed and gasped in awe at the sight of the wriggling baby heron girl.

"Where are all her feathers?" Naesala asked as he noted the pink stubs sticking out of her back.

"She hasn't grown them yet," the king answered. "You were the same way when you were a baby. All members of the bird clan are born this way."

Reyson slowly reached forward. "Can I please hold her?"

His mother looked down at the baby before answering. "Be very careful. Hold her just like I'm holding her." Then she handed Reyson the baby.

Reyson's eyes lit up as he held the baby close to himself. Already he was beginning to assume the role of older brother, making sure that she was comfortable in his arms. "Hi, little sister," he whispered. "My name is Reyson. I'm your big brother."

Naesala watched as the baby continued to squirm a bit. To him she looked so helpless and frail. She couldn't even open her eyes yet. He was overcome by a desire to hold her, too. "Let me hold her, Reyson. I've never held a baby before!"

Reyson was about to hand the baby to him but then hesitated. "Is that all right with you, Mother?"

The queen had to think about it. Naesala could sense her apprehension, her slight fear of letting a raven hold her little treasure. "I promise I won't drop her!" he added. "If Reyson can hold her then I definitely have the strength for it."

"I'm not that weak!" Reyson protested.

The queen sighed. "All right, little one. See how Reyson is holding her? Hold her just like that."

Naesala grinned as Reyson handed the baby to him. She was surprisingly light, but then again she was so small. She also felt as though she could be molded like clay. He raised a finger to poke her face and see what would happen, but once he did that she instantly grabbed his finger. A sudden warmth filled his small body, as though the baby was telling him that she approved of him and that she wanted to be his friend.

"I'll be your friend," he told her softly, though he wasn't even sure if the words even left his mouth. "I'll take care of you no matter what happens."

She opened her eyes wide and stared at him in curiosity. Naesala was drawn into the vivid green color of her eyes. They seemed even more of an emerald hue than Reyson's. She stared into his eyes for a moment before scanning the rest of his face over.

"Well, Lorazieh." Naesala started at the sudden break of silence. The queen was talking to her husband. "What are we going to name her?"

"Name her Leanne!" Naesala exclaimed. "That's what Reyson wants to name her!"

Reyson blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah, that is what I want to name her, but if you don't want to..."

Naesala, however, was not going to let Reyson lose. If Nealuchi had been in the room at the time then he would have been reprimanded for being rude, but for the moment Naesala was free to say whatever he wanted. "It's a good name! Don't you think so?"

The queen chuckled. "It is a nice name, but I was thinking of naming her something else."

"Well, _I'm_ going to call her Leanne." Naesala turned to the little baby still in his arms. "Hello, Leanne. My name is Naesala. I'm your brother's friend!"

She cooed in reply and then closed her eyes.

Reyson was beginning to feel the first few urges of what would eventually develop into his famed stubbornness. "Please, Mother! Father! Please can you name her Leanne? Lillia was able to name me!"

Lorazieh finally sighed. "The more I think about it, I would have to agree that she does look more like a Leanne than a Luella."

"Then we shall name her Leanne." The queen smiled. "It does not seem as though I have much choice now, do I?"

"Yay! Oh, thank you, Mother!" Reyson gave his mother a hug. Then he returned to Naesala. "Can I hold her again, Naesala?"

The raven boy reluctantly gave her up. However, inside he was happy because he had just made a new friend.

"Baby Leanne," Reyson whispered. "I'm going to take good care of you. Mommy and Daddy will help, too!"

Naesala smirked. "I'm pretty sure your parents are going to be doing more to take care of her than you are, Reyson." Part of him felt a little envious, though, because he would only be able to watch her every six months. _When I am able to visit, I'll be spending lots of time with her! Reyson won't mind. He's already claimed her as his own._

Later that evening Reyson and Naesala were watching baby Leanne sleep in her new crib. She was lying perfectly still, as though she were merely a doll. She seemed so fragile, as though any disturbance would break her out of her rigid pose.

"Reyson," Naesala whispered, "did you see her eyes?"

"Her eyes? Yeah, but only for a little bit. She likes to keep them closed. Lillia says it's because she isn't used to the brightness yet."

Naesala nodded. "That makes sense... Anyway, aren't they pretty?"

"Yeah..." Reyson smiled gently. "She has very pretty eyes."

For a second Naesala was tempted to wake her up just so he could see her eyes. However, she looked so content being asleep that he knew he would feel terribly guilty if he tried to disturb her. _I'll have to wait until tomorrow to get another look at her eyes..._

Reyson gasped suddenly, as though he was remembering something important.

Naesala jumped and glanced at Leanne to make sure she hadn't woken up. Then he turned to Reyson. "What is it?"

Reyson grinned. "I won the bet, remember? I said she would be a girl!"

"Oh, that's right." Naesala frowned. "Well, okay, I'll give you the money. But I really wanted her to be a girl, too!" He dug into his pocket and handed over the twenty-five gold coins. "What are you even going to do with those?" he asked. "You herons don't really use money, do you?"

"Maybe I will go buy Leanne a pretty dress," Reyson replied. "I hear that in Sienne, where the beorc live, they have lots of pretty dresses."

Naesala stuck out his tongue. "You don't want to go _there_. It's full of smelly humans. You can buy dresses in Phoenicis or Kilvas just as easily." He instantly made up his mind to buy Leanne a dress when he returned home. _It will be a pretty white dress with little rose patterns on the bottom. Actually, maybe something with green in it would work better. It would match her eyes._

Then he turned his attention to Leanne, who was curled up in a peaceful slumber. He stuck his finger into her tiny palm, which was just barely able to wrap around it. For some reason he really liked the feeling of Leanne holding his finger. It made him feel important, as though she was relying completely on him to protect her. He had no siblings of his own, so he decided that Leanne would be his baby sister as well. However, he did not tell this to Reyson, for the little prince was already becoming very protective of his little sister.

"Oh, be careful, Naesala. Please don't wake her up. She's probably very sleepy," Reyson told him. "She has had a busy day today."

"She won't wake up. See, she's still sleeping."

At that point Lorazieh came into the room and told them that they had to get to bed now. "Give your sister a kiss goodnight, Reyson."

Reyson leaned over and pecked Leanne softly on the forehead. "Goodnight, Baby Leanne."

Naesala also took the liberty to give her a kiss. "Goodnight, Leanne. Sweet dreams." He kissed her on the cheek. Then he carefully slipped his finger out of her palm to avoid waking her and followed Reyson out of the room.

* * *

_Sorry that this chapter is a little shorter. I couldn't find any other good chapter breaks. Anyway, I had fun with this chapter because I love babies. They're so cute! :D _


	4. Chapter 4: Forest Adventure

_The addition of Leanne meant the addition of a new heron for me to corrupt. Every time Nealuchi would visit Serenes he had to bring me along because I wanted to see Leanne. We went there twice a year, and every time I saw her she had grown bigger. By the time she could walk she could come with Reyson and me on our little adventures in the forest. She followed us everywhere. I wonder if Rafiel or Lillia were ever jealous..._

Chapter 4 -- Forest Adventure

A year and a half had passed since Leanne was born. Naesala was now able to fly short distances, and he often showed off his new skill to anyone who was standing nearby. He also took it upon himself to teach Reyson how to fly using the rigorous methods used by ravens.

"Come on, climb up!" Naesala was perched on a tree branch about six feet from the ground. Reyson and Leanne were staring up at him in awe, though Reyson was more filled with fear.

"It's so high!" the heron prince protested. "What if I fall?"

"You have to fall a couple times in order to get used to it." Naesala jumped from the branch and flew to another tree. "You know how many times I fell while learning how to fly?"

"How many?"

Naesala grinned triumphantly. "Fifty-seven! I flew better than most of the others. Nealuchi said that I'm a prodiddy."

Reyson frowned. "What's a prodiddy?"

"Someone who's really good at something at an early age," Naesala explained. "You'll probably fall more times than that. I would guess about seventy."

Leanne cooed excitedly and waved her arms. Like all babies, she was attracted to anything that was potentially life-threatening, and she wanted to climb up into the tree, too.

"No, Leanne. You can't go up in the tree," Reyson told her. "You're too little."

Naesala fluttered to the ground. "You won't even go up into the tree, Reyson. You'll be fine. Trust me!"

"I don't think it's a good idea..."

Suddenly, Naesala picked up Leanne and flew up into the tree again, this time to a branch that was eleven feet high. Leanne giggled at the rush of air and glanced around in wonder at this new view of the forest. Her hair was growing, though it was still fairly short. Lillia had tied in two green ribbons. Tiny white feathers were also beginning to sprout on her wings.

"No, Naesala! Take her back down! If she falls she'll get really hurt!" Reyson was waving his arms frantically, but Naesala ignored him.

"How do you like it up here, Leanne?" he asked her in a sweet tone. "Isn't it pretty?"

"Ah!" she agreed. Then she grabbed onto his jacket and playfully tugged at it.

"See, Reyson?" Naesala called. "She likes it up here. You should join us."

"This is not safe! Oh, no, what will I do?" Then Reyson frowned up at him. "If you don't get down here I'll get Rafiel to fly up there and take Leanne from you!"

"You won't do that. I'll just fly away then," Naesala replied casually. "I'm faster than your brother, you know." He started playing with Leanne's curly hair.

"You'll get in trouble!" Reyson warned.

Naesala finally sighed. "Okay, I'll give you a deal. If I take Leanne back down there, you have to climb up to the branch closest to the ground and try to fly off of it. Deal?"

Reyson watched helplessly as his sister was climbing around Naesala so high up in the air. "Okay. I'll do it."

The raven grinned and held onto Leanne. Then he jumped off the branch and fell for a moment before flapping his wings and landing safely on the ground. Leanne was laughing in delight.

"Don't do that!" Reyson ran over to them and took Leanne away from Naesala. "That's so dangerous! You have to be careful with the baby!" He began inspecting his sister to make sure that she was still unharmed.

"All right, Reyson, your turn. Climb up onto that branch and jump off." Naesala pointed at the branch that stood six feet off the ground. "You know you want to!"

Reyson sighed in defeat and put Leanne on the ground. Then he followed Naesala up the tree and carefully climbed out onto the branch.

Naesala leaned forward. "First, you have to crouch down a little so that you can spring forward. Then you jump off and flap your wings. Watch me!" He demonstrated by flying around in a circle and then landing next to Leanne. The heron princess clapped happily. "Now you try!"

"Naesala, I'm going to hurt myself! What if I get really hurt?"

"Then you'll know what it feels like. Everyone falls on their first try. You might as well get it over with," Naesala explained.

Reyson took a deep breath and dove forward. He hovered for a moment before falling toward the ground. "Hellpp mee!" he screamed.

Naesala ran forward and caught him just in time. "Haha. See? It's not so bad."

"Oh, Naesala, I could have killed myself!" Reyson jumped out of the raven's arms and leaned against the tree so he could catch his breath. "I'm never doing that again!"

"Don't be a chicken. I could have just not caught you," Naesala told him.

Suddenly, Reyson looked past Naesala's shoulder and asked, "Where is Leanne?"

"She's right the--" Naesala's eyes widened as he realized that the spot formerly occupied by Leanne was now empty. "Where did she go?"

"Oh, this is terrible!" Reyson ran around, looking for any sign of his sister. "She must have crawled off somewhere! She must be so lost and alone!"

"She lives here," Naesala replied calmly, though inside he was growing anxious. "Someone will find her eventually."

"Naesala, we have to look for her now! If she gets lost I'll get in so much trouble!"

"Okay, fine." Naesala sighed. "We'll split up and then meet back here. If you find her then call out or something."

"Please hurry," Reyson pleaded. "I'll go this way." He ran off in a frantic rush.

Naesala went the other way, hovering above the ground so he could move faster. "Leanne? Where are you, Leanne?" he called. A few minutes later he spotted her crawling toward a stream. He flew over to her and picked her up. "You really crawl fast! How did you get so far away?"

Leanne cried in protest. She wanted to go play in the stream.

"No, you have to get back. Reyson will get worried." However, she would not let up. Naesala glanced over at the stream and noted that it wasn't that deep. "Okay, but just for a little bit."

He carried her over to the edge and let her down so she could crawl in the mud. Being a boy, he didn't really seem to care that her snowy white dress was now covered in brown splotches. He started piling mud up into a sort of mud castle and stuck a stick in the top to be a flag.

"Look, Leanne! It's a castle!" he exclaimed. "This is what my home looks like."

Leanne smiled and threw some mud at it.

Naesala sat back and watched her play some more. "You know, Leanne, I bet you would like Kilvas. Someday I'll take you there. It's by the sea, and there are lots of strong rocks so no stinky humans can attack us. Maybe one day you can go on a raid with us!"

Leanne, of course, could not comprehend half of what he was saying. She was more interested in the squishy mud. She picked some up and opened her mouth.

"No, Leanne, you can't eat that!" He grabbed her hand to keep her from sticking the mud into her mouth. "It tastes nasty."

Leanne threw the mud away and crawled over to the water. She began patting it and giggled whenever she caused a splash. This helped to clean her off somewhat, but her dress was now permanently ruined. After another minute Naesala decided to take her back before Reyson could go tell an adult what they had been up to. He picked her up and stepped away from the stream to head back. However, something across the stream about two hundred yards off had caught his eye.

"Humans," he whispered in disgust.

Sure enough, two cloaked beorc were walking around. They both had their hoods up, but Naesala could tell that they were much older than him, almost Nealuchi's age. One of them was carrying a peculiar staff, and he was carefully examining the layout of the surrounding area.

Leanne cooed softly.

"Shh! Leanne, be quiet!" Naesala covered her mouth.

It was too late. The two men turned in his direction and saw him. The one with the staff grinned maliciously.

Naesala decided it was best to follow the old raven tradition and run. He held Leanne tight and flew away as fast as he could. Once he reached the tree where he and Reyson were supposed to meet he stopped to catch his breath. He looked behind him and sighed with relief. The beorc hadn't followed him.

"Leanne, you can't make noises when we're trying to sneak around," he scolded the little heron. However, Leanne was still excited from how fast he had been flying while carrying her. She waved her arms happily and giggled.

"Leanne!" Reyson came rushing into the clearing. "Oh, thank goodness, Naesala, you found her!" Then his eyes widened at the sight of her dirty dress. "Wh-what exactly was she doing?"

Naesala put the squirming heron girl down so she could crawl around. "She was playing in the mud. She was having a lot of fun, too!" He didn't want to tell Reyson about the beorc he had seen, though a sliver of fear was beginning to creep into him.

They returned to the center of the forest, where the adults were all waiting. Lillia shrieked when she saw Leanne's ruined dress.

"What did you let her do! Oh, she'll never be able to wear that dress again!" She took Leanne out of Reyson's arms and rushed away to change her sister's dress.

Rafiel shook his head. "Our sister is going to turn into a raven if this keeps up."

"Oh come on!" Naesala protested. "She was the one who wanted to play in the mud. I tried to keep her from crawling into it but then she whined so I just let her play. Doesn't every fledgling want to play in the mud at least once?"

Reyson blushed in embarrassment as Rafiel chuckled softly.

"Reyson used to always try to crawl in the mud, but Lillia would not let him. It isn't particularly a common habit among herons, though," Rafiel explained. "We spend more time near the plants than we do by the streams and rivers, unless we are looking for fish to eat."

The mention of fish caused Naesala's stomach to rumble. "So, when is dinner?"

"Right now, Nestling!" Nealuchi walked up to them with a large smile on his face. "Are you all washed up and ready?"

Naesala glanced down at the dirt that covered his clothing. "Aw crap..." He quickly washed his hands and face and ran back to the dining area, where Reyson, Rafiel, Lillia, and a freshly cleaned Leanne were sitting. Lillia was feeding Leanne, gently pushing the spoon into her mouth as she giggled and waved her arms around excitedly.

"Can I try to feed her?" Naesala asked.

Lillia hesitated. "Well... please do not get her dirty, little one. This is the only clean dress she has left at the moment."

Naesala smiled playfully. "Of _course_ I won't get her dirty! Unless she wants me to!"

Lillia reluctantly handed him the spoon. He scooped up some of the food, some sort of mashed up fish, and held it toward her face.

"Here you go, Leanne! Yum yum!"

Leanne tried to swat at the spoon, but Naesala pulled it away just in time.

"Now, Leanne, if you get yourself dirty then your sister won't ever let me feed you again." He slowly put it into her mouth. She greedily sucked the food off of the spoon and then laughed, causing half of it to fall back out of her mouth. Lillia quickly swooped over and cleaned her face off with a napkin.

"You know, in Kilvas we use bibs," Naesala told her. "We also wear dark colors so that it doesn't matter if we get dirty."

Lillia sighed. "Little sister, you are the messiest heron I have ever seen!"

Dinner continued much in the same pattern, though Lillia succeeded in keeping Leanne's dress clean. Naesala was having so much fun that he completely forgot about the beorc he had seen earlier. Instead, he was more preoccupied with discovering further ways to corrupt his heron friends.

* * *

_I am having a lot of fun portraying Leanne as a baby! Babies are just so attracted to trouble..._


	5. Chapter 5: Blood Begins to Boil

_The blood pact is the most horrible invention I've ever witnessed. That's all I'll say about it for now._

Chapter 5 -- Blood Begins to Boil

As an adolescent Naesala began to come into his own as a fighter. His speed could help him outmatch the other ravens in any spar. He had already gone on several raids and had thoroughly enjoyed each one. He had also developed a deep hatred for the beorc.

One day he was playing hide-and-seek with some of the younger ravens in the castle, including the king's son Rian. He was trying to find a good hiding spot when he accidentally stumbled into a corridor he had never seen before. Then he remembered Nealuchi warning him one time that this corridor was off-limits to anyone except the king. Curiosity, however, tugged at him to move further into the room. He snuck along the wall, listening carefully for the sounds of any followers. He froze when he heard a shout from the far end of the corridor.

_That sounds like the king!_ he thought. He crept closer, hearing more voices speaking in softer tones. These voices belonged to men, and Naesala grimaced as he recognized the accent of a beorc from Begnion. _Damn humans! What are they doing here?_

Naesala finally hid behind a pillar from where he could see a dimly-lit room. The two cloaked men he had seen in Serenes all those years ago were talking with the king. One of the men, the one with a moustache, was holding up a piece of paper that was glowing an eerie green. The king was gasping and clutching his left arm. Naesala's eyes widened as he spotted blood dripping from that arm.

_What are they doing to him? And why isn't he fighting back?_

The man holding the paper smiled. "Thank you, King Kilvas. You have just made a very wise decision." He spoke in a sickeningly sweet voice, one that Naesala could just smell the treachery in.

The king slowly regained his composure. "This means that you will promise to help us out, then? You will provide Kilvas with support until we are able to make up for the debt?"

"As long as you fulfill our demands, yes."

The king smiled weakly. "Thank you."

The two men nodded, and the second man pulled out a staff. Naesala recognized it as the staff from before. This man handed the king a pouch of money and then murmured some words to the staff. Suddenly, a bright glow surrounded the two men, and they instantly vanished. Naesala watched as the king slouched to the ground and wept into his hands.

_What did he just agree to?_ Naesala thought. _And why would he even want to deal with a stupid human, anyway?_ He dashed out of the room before the king could see him hiding there. Once out of the corridor, he stopped and leaned against the wall. The beorc man scared him because of their magic and sugary voices.

"Found you!"

Naesala jumped but then relaxed when he saw little Rian running toward him.

The raven prince laughed. "Come on, Naesala! You can't hide out where everyone can see you!"

"You can if you know how to do it," he replied. "I just ran out of time to find a good spot. Come on, let's go look for the others." He tried to push the prince along, but Rian tugged on his sleeve.

"Are you all right? Your face is all white," Rian whispered. "Did you eat something bad?"

Naesala shook his head. _If you knew what your father was up to..._ "Maybe I'm just hungry. Let's finish this game and then grab some food."

Rian nodded excitedly and fluttered off, letting Naesala follow. He watched the young fledging flapping his wings, trying to lift off the ground as he ran. Rian was only a year older than Leanne, so Naesala often found himself watching over the young prince when he was in Kilvas. The little prince loved to play games in the hallway, especially hide-and-seek.

Slowly Rian and Naesala were able to find the other young ravens who had hidden throughout the castle. Naesala was thankful for the temporary distraction from what he had seen in the king's corridor, but there was still a nagging feeling in his heart that would not let him completely forget what he had seen.

As the day progressed, Naesala found it harder to push what he had seen out of his mind. Never in his entire life had he seen the king look so weak and helpless, especially in front of beorc. However, he decided not to tell anyone what he had seen, for he was still too afraid of the magic-users and what they would do to the king if they found out that a teenage raven was spying on them.

"Nestling? Is everything all right?" Nealuchi asked after dinner. "You didn't eat much, and you need your strength for the raid tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just not hungry today I guess." Naesala tried to slip away to his room, but the old crow gently grabbed his shoulder.

"Nestling, I can tell when you are upset. Your father was the same way," Nealuchi whispered. "He would make that sarcastic face and then hide away. Your mother was the only one who could ever get anything out of him."

Naesala sighed. "Why are you suddenly bringing up my parents? You never talk about them."

"I just happened to think about them, Nestling." He smiled sadly. "It is a shame you never had the chance to know them that well. They were kind people."

"That's great, but can I go to my room now? I'm really tired..."

"Nestling, I just don't want anything bad to happen to you. You're the only one left from your family," Nealuchi told him softly, patting him on the shoulder. "Please be careful, all right?"

"Okay." Naesala found himself able to smile. "I'll be careful." He kept the visions of the king cringing in pain out of his mind long enough to convince Nealuchi, and then he turned and went into his room. He gently closed the door and leaned against it, breathing out a heavy sigh.

_I can't just ignore what I saw_, he thought. _I can't pretend I didn't see it. I have to do something, but what can I possibly do? I can only fight beorc using weapons, not magic! And I can't tell anyone that I saw that! They either won't believe me or will overreact and mess everything up!_ He found himself rubbing his temples to hold back the growing headache. _I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens... That's about all I can do. But the next time I go on a raid, I'm personally ripping those beorc apart!_

Over the next few weeks, Naesala noticed that soldiers were being sent to the mainland more often. He even went on a few of these missions. Most of them dealt with attacking merchant caravans, but one of them involved attacking a group of travelers. Naesala examined the belongings of one of the bodies, a young male beorc. Among the man's money he found a letter scrawled in a messy hand. He could read the new tongue fairly well, so he scanned it over out of curiosity. Then he gasped.

_These travelers were trying to free laguz slaves?! Did the king know that?_

Immediately upon his return to Kilvas, Naesala informed Nealuchi of the letter.

The old crow sighed gravely. "This is frightening... I believe I will have to tell the king. I doubt he knew who these people were."

"Well, they had money," Naesala replied. "That makes them a logical target."

The young raven went with Nealuchi to tell the king about the slain travelers. As they entered the throne room Naesala instantly noticed how much more drawn the king's face looked. His eyes were sagged in, betraying some sort of inner turmoil.

"Your Majesty!" Nealuchi called. "Young Naesala has some distressing information. Go ahead, Nestling."

Naesala was hesitant at first, only because his king appeared as though he would not be able to handle any more bad news. However, he knew that what he had to share was important in order to preserve the reputation of Kilvas. "My lord, I was looking through the belongings of the travelers we recently attacked, and I found this." He handed the letter to the king, who read it over twice before breathing a heavy sigh.

"Thank you for showing this to me, Naesala. I was afraid something like this would happen. It won't happen again, though." A sense of duty flashed across his face. "You may leave." The two ravens nodded and left the room.

After that the unusual raids ceased. Once again Naesala found himself raiding ships that dared venture too close to Kilvas' shore. He began to forget about the two beorc he had seen with the king and was now anxiously looking forward to his next visit to Serenes Forest. Leanne was starting to learn how to fly, according to Reyson's most recent letter, and Naesala wanted to help her learn just as he had helped Reyson learn.

However, the day before Naesala and Nealuchi were to leave for Serenes, a cry was heard out in the streets. Soon there were reports that an older raven had mysteriously fallen over and died in the middle of the street. Nealuchi was called to stay and help investigate, so Naesala's trip was delayed. He was a bit angry at this, since his last trip six months ago had been cancelled because of bad weather.

In a sort of rebellion he decided to wander the castle and investigate the room he wasn't allowed to go in. He glanced around to make sure no one was following him and then slipped through the door. He slowly walked through the dimly-lit corridor until he reached the room at the end of the hall. He realized that it was a records room; stacks of coins and papers littered the shelves. On a small wooden desk in the corner lay the pouch of gold which the beorc men had given the king. Naesala picked up the pouch and examined it. On one side the seal of Begnion was embroidered into the soft silk; Naesala recognized it from one of the merchant ships he had helped raid. He remembered Nealuchi's lessons from when he was much younger:

_"Begnion is a large country to the north of us," _the old crow had explained._ "Beorc live there, and they are ruled by a group of men known as the Senate. They also have an empress whom they call the Apostle."_

_Those two men looked important, _Naesala thought. _I wonder if they were senators or something._ Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching and dove behind one of the bookshelves.

The king entered with a letter in his hand and sat down at the desk. Naesala spotted the seal of Begnion on the front of the letter and cringed.

_Why is he still dealing with humans?_

The king's hands were shaking as he opened the letter and read it carefully. Naesala squinted to see what was written on it, but he was too far away to make anything out. After the king had finished reading, he sighed and shook his head.

"I refuse to take this one," he whispered to himself. "These are probably more traveling emancipators. How can they expect me to let my men kill them off? These demands are getting ridic--" He winced and grabbed his left arm. "You can inflict as much pain on me as you want! I won't do it!" he gasped. "We'll find the money from somewhere else!" He recovered from his pain and ripped up the letter, throwing it into the torch on the wall. Then he staggered out of the room.

Naesala waited a moment before also leaving, enraged at what he had just seen. _He's even taking orders from those damn humans! This is all so stupid!_

The next day two more ravens were found dead, one of them a young girl. The day after that, three more died.

"I think it must be a plague," Nealuchi told Naesala. "I'm going to send you to Serenes until this is all taken care of. I don't want you catching whatever this disease is."

"But what about you, Nealuchi?" Naesala asked, choking back the lump of fear in his throat. "What if you get sick?"

Nealuchi shook his head. "Don't worry about me, Nestling. All of the victims so far have been young, except for the first one. You have more of a chance of catching it than I do."

With that, young Naesala was sent to stay with the herons. Part of him was excited because now he could spend more time with Reyson and Leanne, yet he still couldn't quite shake the fear that something really bad was going to happen.

* * *

_Yay for foreshadowing lol. Rian is the only real OC who will appear in this, and he doesn't even have a big part. It's just that Lekain mentions that the king under the blood pact had a child. If you are finding any problems with my interpretation, please let me know. There really isn't much description about this part in the game, so I'm making most of it up._


	6. Chapter 6: The Beginning of Nightmares

_There's always been that superstition that your dreams can predict the future, but I never really paid much attention to it when I was younger. That was because I never had realistic dreams like that first one I had about the senators while I was in Serenes._

Chapter 6 -- The Beginning of the Nightmares

Naesala arrived in Serenes and was warmly welcomed by his friends. Leanne could indeed flutter around on her tiny wings, though she often got frustrated when Reyson could fly faster than her. Her hair had grown even longer, though it still retained its bouncy curl. She could not quite understand why Naesala was staying in her forest for the next few weeks, but she was happy to have him there.

That night Naesala had a horrible dream. The two men from Begnion kept grinning evilly, using their magic to hurt the king. Then the younger one waved his staff, and suddenly Reyson appeared. They began harming Reyson as well, but Naesala could not move to help. Then Lillia and Rafiel appeared. Naesala kept screaming for the men to stop, but they only laughed at him. Soon Leanne popped into the scene, but before he could watch her be tormented he woke up on the floor of his room. He had rolled out of bed from all of his flailing about. As he tried to untangle himself from his blankets he suddenly realized that he was covered in sweat.

_Oh no... what if I'm getting a fever? What if it's the plague that everyone back home is getting? What if--_

"Naesala..." Reyson's groan came from the other corner of the room. "What's going on? I heard a loud thump or something..."

Naesala sighed in relief. _It was just a dream... Reyson's not hurt._ He pulled himself up back into his bed. "I'm all right. Just rolled over too far. Go back to sleep." He was afraid to tell Reyson about his dream out of fear that it would curse him.

However, he was unable to fall asleep the rest of the night. The faces of the two senators continued to haunt his mind. He finally gave up and rolled over onto his side, facing the window. He could barely see the stars through the thick cover of tree branches. Reyson had already fallen back to sleep; Naesala could faintly hear his soft, steady breathing.

_I wonder if those two men have something to do with the plague. No, that's silly. I doubt any human magic could kill that many people, especially since the senators left Kilvas a couple months ago._

Naesala felt his forehead. He had stopped sweating, so he figured that it had all been because of the dream. Relieved that he wasn't falling ill, he continued to stare out the window at the partially-hidden night sky, letting his mind wander. He began to think about Nealuchi, the fledglings, the parents he had never known. He had found out from Nealuchi that he was distantly related to the king through his mother, some second-cousin type of relationship.

_That's probably why I've taken such a liking to little Prince Rian,_ he thought. _I don't really care, though. The prince will be a much better fighter than I am, so it's not like I could ever become king. I just hope Kilvas survives this plague..._

The sky slowly lightened, morphing from dark to deep blue to a pale bluish-gray. Naesala had never watched sunrise before, but once he realized that it was morning he rolled over and instantly succumbed to sleep. Two hours later he groaned as Reyson shook him awake.

"C'mon, Naesala! You'll be late for breakfast!" the heron prince shouted.

"Okay, fine..."

Two hours of sleep did not mix well with the adolescent raven, however. He stared at his food through bleary eyes before sleepily shoveling some into his mouth.

Leanne sat down across from him and watched curiously for a few minutes before asking, "Why are you such a sleepyhead today?"

Naesala looked up at her blankly. "Couldn't sleep..."

"Well, that's no good. If you don't get enough sleep then you'll get sick," the heron princess replied matter-of-factly.

"How do you know so much for someone so young?" Naesala reached his hand across the table and ruffled her hair. "You're too cute to be worrying about that kind of stuff."

Leanne giggled and then continued. "Reyson told me that everyone at your home is getting sick. I don't want you to get sick, Naesala!"

Naesala couldn't ignore the pang of worry in his chest at the thought of his friends in Kilvas, still vulnerable to the plague. Then he glanced up to notice that Leanne had gone, but before he had time to question of her whereabouts he felt her tiny arms around his waist. He looked down at her golden head and smiled. _She's so innocent,_ he thought. "Why are you hugging me, Leanne?"

She looked up at him with wide, emerald eyes of concern. "I felt you get worried," she whispered. "I could feel sadness, so I wanted to cheer you up."

"Oh, right. You herons can read minds or something." He picked her up and plopped her down in his lap, since she was still small enough. "Well, thank you, Leanne. But don't worry about me. I won't be getting sick as long as I'm here in Serenes."

She grinned. "Good! Because if you get sick, who will teach me how to fly?"

After breakfast Naesala dragged his feet along as he trudged through the forest behind Reyson and Leanne. He wasn't planning on playing any tricks on Reyson like he had last time, mostly because he was too tired to be able to ensure anyone's safety. He didn't even notice that the two herons had stopped walking, and he bumped into Reyson's back.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I zoned out."

"Well, did you hear the plans, then?" Reyson asked.

"Don't think so."

"Leanne wants you to teach her how to fly out of that big tree," Reyson continued. "I figure that if I stay down here I can catch her if she falls."

"Good idea. I just hope I have the energy for this," Naesala mumbled with a yawn.

Reyson frowned. "Are you sure you are all right? You seem out of sorts."

"Eh, I'll be fine." Naesala faked the best smirk he could muster. "Besides, Leanne really wants to do this. How could I say no to that look?" He gestured toward Leanne's semi-pouting face.

Reyson laughed. "All right. But be careful. And Leanne..." He turned to his excited sister. "Don't try anything crazy!"

"Don't worry, I won't!" she replied, fluttering her wings anxiously.

Naesala picked her up and flew up to the widest branch on the tree.

"Okay, I'm letting go now," he told her as he let her steady herself. "Grab onto the trunk so you don't slip."

She nodded and grinned as she took in the view. "Hi, Reyson! You look so small from up here!"

The tiny Reyson waved his hand.

"Now, Leanne, first watch me take off," Naesala instructed. "Watch how I push myself off the branch."

Leanne observed carefully as he lunged forward and flapped his wings. He thought back to when he was teaching Reyson how to fly and smiled as he realized how much stronger he had become. He barely had to flap his wings in order to stay aloft. He circled the tree a few times and then landed back on the branch.

"There. You see what you have to do?" he asked as he lightly stepped onto the branch.

"I think so..." She quickly flapped her wings and jumped forward. She stayed in the air for a moment but then panicked and began to fall. Naesala rushed over and caught her before she had even fallen two feet from the branch.

"This will take some practice," he muttered. "At least you're not as much of a chicken as your brother."

"I heard that!" Reyson called from below. "I'm not a chicken!"

The flying lessons continued for another hour before Leanne was finally able to circle the tree once. She landed on the branch again and squealed in delight.

"I did it!" she exclaimed. "I flew around the tree!"

Naesala grinned. "Good job, Leanne!" Then he yawned. "But I think that's enough flying for now." They flew down to Reyson, who was applauding Leanne's success.

The rest of the day seemed to drone on for Naesala. He desperately wanted to take a nap, but he also didn't want to throw off his sleeping schedule. However, he soon found himself alone under a tree, dozing off in the mid-afternoon breeze. Reyson and Leanne were off with Rafiel practicing some ancient galdrars, songs that only the royal family members were allowed to learn. Naesala welcomed the solitude as a chance to catch a few much-needed minutes of sleep.

_At this time of day I guess the fledglings are playing hide-and-seek in the castle,_ he thought. _I wonder if Prince Rian will be able to fly by the time I get back. But why didn't the king send him away, too? Aren't they worried that the heir to the throne will catch that nasty disease? Unless they sent him to Phoenicis? Nah, that wouldn't happen. The king hates the hawk tribe for some reason. Must see them as rivals in the pirating business. They haven't interfered with us much since I started raiding, though. Nealuchi said something about how he remembers when the hawks and ravens lived together in Phoenicis, before I was born. Maybe the king had a falling-out with the hawks... Ugh, I don't really care about any of that stuff. Kilvas is nice enough, even if it is mostly rocks and stuff._

His mental ramblings finally put him to sleep, though he didn't remain that way for long. The gentle voice of Lillia woke him up from his nap.

"Little one, it is almost time for supper," she told him as he blinked at her in a daze. "My brother and sister have been looking everywhere for you."

"Oh, whoops." He stretched his arms and wings. "I didn't think I would nap for that long."

Lillia peered into his eyes with pale, green orbs. "Little one, you are greatly troubled, are you not?"

Naesala sighed. "The rest of my tribe is currently sharing the risk of getting a deadly plague. Why _shouldn't_ I be worried?"

"No. There is more than that. You are hiding something."

Naesala froze in fear. _What if she saw-- No, I can't think about it, or she'll know for sure. I have to close myself off to her._ He filled his mind with blank thoughts, causing the princess to frown in defeat.

"Not many laguz can close off their hearts so easily. But, little Naesala, it is not good for someone so young to carry a heavy burden by himself."

"You didn't see what my secret is, did you?" he asked cautiously.

"No."

"Then don't worry about it. I'm not frail like a heron."

Lillia sighed. "There is no need for you to lose your temper. I am only concerned about your state of health."

_I did just lose my temper. Why am I suddenly so touchy? This isn't a big deal!_ He stood up and walked past her a few steps. "I'm tired and worried about my tribe. That's all."

Lillia came closer to him and smiled. "The way you worry about Kilvas makes you seem like you could be her leader. Little one, if there is a secret you are bothered with, do not hesitate to tell me. I promise I will not tell anyone."

Naesala stopped and stared at her in confusion. "Why are you suddenly so concerned about me?"

"My dear little sister is worried about you," she replied. "I only want to ease her fears."

Naesala smiled. "Oh, Leanne. She's so perceptive. Well, Lillia, I may take you up on that offer, but you have to promise not to tell anyone about it."

She nodded. "You have my word. Tonight after dinner I will be alone by the altar, if you still wish to tell me." Then she walked off.

However, by the time Naesala had finished his supper had had forgotten all about Lillia. All he could think of was crawling into bed and falling asleep. It wasn't until he heard a knock on his bedroom door when he remembered Lillia's offer. He had just slipped into his nightclothes. He opened the door to find little Leanne staring up at him with wide eyes.

"Are you going night-night already?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm really tired. But if you want to play a game or something--"

"I'll sing you to sleep!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "Mommy always sings me a lullaby when I can't fall asleep."

"Leanne, you really don't have to do that," he replied, half-amused at her innocent suggestion.

"But I really want to, Naesala! Please?"

He sighed. Once again her cuteness had won him over. "Okay. But don't stay up too late, or Lillia will never let me hear the end of it."

"It's okay. Lillia's going to be at the altar all night. She won't know."

"Well, once Reyson gets in here you'll have to go back to your room." Naesala trudged over to his bed and climbed under the blankets. Leanne also tucked herself into his bed.

"I'm cold," she explained.

_Ugh, Leanne, if you were a few years older you wouldn't be able to get away with this,_ he thought with a smirk. He was old enough now to know how new fledglings were born, but he figured that Leanne was young enough to be completely unaware of the connotations her actions could possibly create.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it, Leanne."

She giggled and began singing a lullaby which, as she predicted, instantly put him to sleep.

_Lillia's offer will just have to wait until tomorrow,_ was his last thought before his mind slipped into dreamland.

* * *

_Yes it's extra long this time to make up for not posting in a while. Life is incredibly busy so I don't have much time to write these days..._


	7. Chapter 7: Trouble in Serenes

_It's hard to date exactly when all my troubles began, but I'm sure that if you made a timeline, Lillia's disappearance would be a major factor in that decision. I had never really even been that close to her, but no one could deny that her disappearance brought the sense of a bad omen to the heron tribe._

Chapter 7 -- Trouble in Serenes

Unfortunately, Naesala was once again unable to get a full night's sleep, but this time it had nothing to do with nightmares. He woke up to the sound of shouting from somewhere else in the forest. In his dim night vision he could barely make out Reyson's form in the bed across from his. He felt something warm snuggled against his chest and realized that Leanne had fallen asleep while she was singing to him. The tone of the frantic shouts from outside caused him to instinctively wrap his arms around her in protection.

Then he heard Reyson groan and sit up. "Naesala, what's going on out there?" he whispered.

"No idea, but it doesn't sound good."

"Is Leanne still with you?"

"Yeah, and she's asleep."

A knock at the door, however, caused him to stiffen up in fear.

"Prince Reyson? Nestling? Are you in there?" Nealuchi's voice helped Naesala to calm down a little.

"Sir Nealuchi? Yes, we're in here," Reyson replied. "Please come in."

The door creaked open, and in rushed Nealuchi and Rafiel. The old crow was carrying a dimly-lit torch.

"Nealuchi, what's going on?" Naesala asked groggily.

Nealuchi, however, was scanning him over carefully. He seemed to relax slightly at the sight of Leanne bundled up in Naesala's arms. "Thank goodness. I didn't see Princess Leanne in her room and was beginning to worry that she had gone, too."

"'Too'?" Reyson shot up. "Who else is missing?"

"Shh, you can't wake up Leanne," Naesala whispered. He wanted to spare her from the worry that had already claimed the others in the room.

Rafiel gulped. "It's Lillia. They can't find her anywhere. She was at the altar when I left, and then I came back to ask her a question. She was gone."

"Are you sure she didn't just go to a different part of the forest?" Reyson asked, his voice wavering.

"None of us can sense her presence," Rafiel replied. "She must have been kidnapped."

Naesala's eyes widened, while Reyson gasped.

"That is why I brought Prince Rafiel in here," Nealuchi explained. "I'm going to keep guard over all of you for the rest of the night. Please try to get some sleep. The hawk ambassador is with your parents, Prince Reyson, so you do not need to worry about them."

"How did everyone get here so fast?" Naesala asked. "What about the state of things in Kilvas?"

"I'll explain everything tomorrow, Nestling," Nealuchi replied wearily. "For now, just sleep."

Naesala sighed. He was at least able to content himself with the knowledge that the plague had not claimed the life of his caretaker. He pulled Leanne closer to himself to keep her safe, letting her rhythmic breathing lull him back to sleep. Rafiel ended up sharing a bed with Reyson, while Nealuchi sat against the door, prepared for any possible attack.

Naesala found that he was able to sleep all the way until morning. Leanne's squirming woke him up. He watched as she glanced around in confusion until her facial expression switched to a grin.

"Oh, I fell asleep in here!" she exclaimed as she wriggled out of Naesala's arms.

"Yeah, you did. Good thing you didn't snore," he teased. He needed to keep the worry out of his mind as long as possible for Leanne's sake.

Then she noticed Rafiel and Nealuchi in the room and giggled. "Why are they in here?"

The others had already woken up; Reyson apparently hadn't slept much, for his eyes were still bleary. Rafiel was walking over to the window, probably to check for any signs of Lillia's return.

Leanne sighed impatiently and turned to Naesala. "You haven't answered me yet."

_How do I explain this to you?_ he thought. Luckily for him, however, Rafiel decided to answer his little sister.

"We wanted everyone to be in the same room so that no one would go missing."

Leanne wrinkled her nose into her face. "Then how come Lillia's not in here?"

The question dropped a bomb of silence into the room; no one knew how best to break the news to the young fledgling princess.

"Princess Leanne," Nealuchi finally began, "Princess Lillia has been taken away. We don't know where she is, but everyone is going to search for her."

Leanne jumped out of bed and stared at the old crow. "Why would anyone take her away? Who took her away? They're big meanies!"

"They are big meanies," Naesala agreed. Somehow the vision of the two senators couldn't leave his mind.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Leanne glanced at her older brothers. "We have to start looking for her! Come on, let's go!" She ran out of the room to go get dressed. Rafiel sighed and followed after her.

Reyson was still shook up from the night before. He had bundled his blankets around him and hugged his knees against his chest. His eyes were wide and emanating with fear. Naesala slipped out of his bed and walked over to his friend, putting an arm around him in concern.

"Reyson, it'll be all right. But sitting here and worrying won't help anything," Naesala told him gently.

Reyson nodded. "I know... I'm just scared. Nothing like this has ever happened in Serenes before."

Then Naesala remembered all of the questions he still needed Nealuchi to answer. The old crow's eyes were drawn with lack of sleep. He had stayed up the entire night to make sure none of the children were taken away, but he still was able to smile when he met Naesala's curious eyes.

"Well, Nestling, I suppose I should explain to you what happened and how I got here. Prince Reyson, you may stay here and listen if you like."

Reyson looked down at his knees. "I think I will stay here. I'm still pretty tired..."

Naesala took a deep breath. "Okay, Nealuchi. What happened?"

The old crow sighed. "I had just left Kilvas to fly here and check on you, Nestling. About halfway through my journey I noticed a strange light off in the distance, and when I approached the forest I saw that the light was coming from the middle of the forest. However, by the time I finally reached the altar, it had disappeared. Instead, I found Prince Rafiel frantically searching for his sister. King Lorazieh arrived shortly afterward, and we organized a search group to look for the princess. Unfortunately, we could not find her, and when I informed the king of the light I had seen, he surmised that it must have been some sort of kidnapping. That was when I took Prince Rafiel and led him to this room. King Lorazieh was worried about the rest of his children and asked me to keep watch over all of you for the rest of the night."

"But then how did the hawk ambassador get here?" Reyson asked.

"I suppose he must have seen the light, as well," Nealuchi replied. "I am not sure why he was in the area, but I am glad he's here. He brought Prince Tibarn with him."

"Prince Tibarn? I don't remember him very well," Reyson remarked. "I know I've met him before, though. He seemed very nice."

"Yeah, he's a decent fighter, from what I hear," added Naesala. "Go on, Nealuchi."

"We have no idea who could have possibly taken Princess Lillia away, or even why they would. I just hope that this doesn't turn into anything more dangerous for the heron tribe." Nealuchi paused to get his thoughts together again. "Anyway, Nestling, what else did you want to know?"

"Kilvas, of course! What's going on there?"

"Oh, right. Well..." Nealuchi's face became grim. "Nestling, it is very bad. Every day more people die, and no one can figure out what is causing it. The medics are unable to find any cause for disease, so some are beginning to wonder if it is the work of a murderer using poison or other such method."

"H-how many people have died, Nealuchi?" Naesala choked out.

Nealuchi was hesitant. "Too many, Nestling. It has been two months since the first incident, and it seems as though the number of daily casualties only increases. On the day I left, sixty-two people were found dead. That's just in one day, Nestling!"

Naesala sank down into the bed even further. "Sixty-two in one day... sixty-two..." He was afraid to ask the next question, but he knew he had to. "A-anyone I'm close to? Nealuchi, did any of my friends die?"

"One of those fledglings you used to watch... I believe his name was Lorenzo..."

Naesala blinked back tears that were threatening to pour forth from his eyes. "He was so young… Why is this happening?"

"I don't know, Nestling." Nealuchi sighed. "I only hope that it ends soon. Now, let's try to get through this day. Let's go get some breakfast."

King Lorazieh and the queen were both quite shook up. Everyone in the room was eating in silence, though Naesala could tell from Leanne's restlessness that she still didn't quite understand what was going on. The hawk ambassador and Prince Tibarn also ate with them. Naesala noted that the young hawk was probably a few years older than him. He had a long scar across his face, but his eyes still retained a sense of youth.

After breakfast Leanne ran up to Naesala and tugged anxiously on his sleeve.

"Yes, Leanne?"

She giggled playfully and held up a long, green ribbon. "Lillia usually does my hair, but she's not here. Mommy's too busy right now." She smiled at him expectantly.

_Ugh, little fledglings… They're always so clueless._ Naesala laughed. "Let me guess. You want me to do your hair."

She nodded. "Please please please?"

"Leanne, I don't know the first thing about doing a girl's hair. Shouldn't you ask another heron lady?"

"No! I want you to tie up my hair!" She frowned. "You always tie your hair!"

_She does have a point there,_ Naesala thought as he ran a hand through his short ponytail. "Okay, you win. I've never tied up another person's hair before, though."

Leanne flashed a wide grin and handed him the ribbon. "Make it pretty!"

Naesala sighed and began gathering her curly hair behind her head. "Do you want a ponytail or what? Actually, ponytail it is, because that's all I can do."

"It has to be pretty," she chirped.

"Alright, it will be a pretty ponytail." He felt a smile coming to his face. _Maybe Leanne will be able to get us all through this. Someone as innocent and cheerful as her… I wish I could be like that again._ Having something to do seemed to relax him. As he ran his hands through her hair to brush it out, he felt the throbbing pain in his head go away. He carefully tied the ribbon around it to make a low ponytail.

"Done?" she asked.

"Yup. Hope you like it." He tugged on it gently and laughed softly.

Leanne ran over to the nearest mirror and squealed. "I love it! Thank you thank you thank you!"

"You're welcome, princess Leanne," he replied with a bow. "Anything else you would like?"

She thought for a moment. "Not right now. Later we have to go out into the woods and go on an adventure!"

"I'm not sure going out in the woods is a good idea right now," Naesala told her gravely. "Whoever took Lillia might still be out there."

"Then we'll find them and make them give Lillia back!" Leanne crossed her arms and put on a triumphant face.

"Well, okay, but don't get your hopes up too much." Naesala patted her head. "And if you go out in the woods, you have to take me with you so you don't get kidnapped, too."

"Of course!" She giggled and ran off.

_We have to protect the rest of the herons,_ Naesala thought. _They're almost like… like my family._

* * *

_Yes, I'm back from the dead. I had so much to do with school, being my senior year and all. But now I'm free! I've been writing like crazy so in theory these updates shouldn't take so long anymore. In theory._


	8. Chapter 8: The Calm Before the Storm

_The last time I was in Serenes before the massacre, I think part of me must have known that it would be the last time things were going to be anything like they had been back in better times. It was the last time I saw Leanne as a child, and it was the last time I saw Reyson looking truly happy. The winds of change were already beginning to blow, but just in that week or so, things seemed simple for one more time._

Chapter 8 -- The Calm Before the Storm

The next day, Leanne dragged her brothers and Naesala out into the woods to search for Lillia.

"Leanne, it's not worth it," Reyson muttered. "She's been kidnapped. We won't find her anywhere in the forest."

"But we can look for clues!" the little princess replied. "Maybe the kidnapper dropped something!"

Rafiel shook his head. "Sister, this isn't a game. I think it would be better to stay inside where it is safe."

However, Leanne ignored her brother and continued forward.

"Maybe we should just humor her," Naesala suggested. "It will keep her occupied. She's too young to understand the seriousness of the situation, and that's probably a good thing." He managed a smile and added, "Besides, there's no point in sitting around and moping about it."

"Would it be all right if I go with you?" They turned to see Tibarn walking toward them with a friendly smile on his face. "Hawks are very keen on finding things. Maybe I can help you look for clues."

Leanne stared at him curiously. "Well... I don't know..."

"Leanne, I think it will be all right," Reyson told her. "Sir Tibarn, we would be glad to have you join us."

Naesala suppressed a groan. There was just something about the hawk that he didn't like. _He doesn't know his way around the forest like _I _do. I don't think he'll be much help._

They walked through the forest, Leanne leading the way and dragging Naesala by the hand, with Tibarn, Reyson, and Rafiel in the rear. Naesala could hear Tibarn and Reyson making light conversation, but he wasn't able to really eavesdrop because Leanne kept talking to him.

"Naesala, when we find Lillia, can we make her a pretty necklace?"

"'We'? Leanne, I don't know the first thing about making necklaces. I'm a boy."

Leanne frowned. "_Anyone_ can make a necklace. I will teach you how when we get back."

Naesala sighed. "Leanne, just remember, we probably won't find Lillia out there. These kidnappers must be pretty powerful if they were able to kidnap your sister."

"But if we can find where they're hiding, then we can rescue her!" Leanne responded innocently.

"The kidnappers would probably fight back," replied Naesala.

"Then you can fight them off, Naesala!" Leanne looked up at him and grinned. "You always talk about how strong you are."

Naesala shook his head. "Maybe against sailors, but these kidnappers are different." He firmly believed that the senators were involved, and he wasn't about to go fight the strongest bishops in Begnion by himself.

"Well, they're probably ugly," Leanne said flatly.

This made Naesala laugh. "Leanne, what makes you say that?"

"Because they're bad guys. And bad guys are always ugly. In the picture books Mommy reads me, the bad guys always have ugly warts and moles."

_If only that were true,_ Naesala thought.

Suddenly, Leanne gasped and jumped up and down excitedly. "Look! In the bush!"

Naesala followed her gaze and noticed a small scrap of fabric in the bushes ahead of them. It looked as though it had been snagged off. He walked over and pulled it out of the bush.

"What is it?" Reyson asked as he and the others approached them.

Naesala scanned the fabric, turning it over in his hands. It was all white except for a stripe of blue running through the one side. It felt slick in his hands, almost like silk.

_A rich fabric belonging to a rich person. I don't think the herons ever wear silk. Maybe this is from the kidnappers after all... It looks like something a senator would wear..._

"This looks like the kind of fabric that wealthy beorc wear," Tibarn noted.

"Definitely not from a heron," Naesala added. "I think our kidnapper must have been wearing this."

"To wear such expensive clothing on a kidnapping raid, though... That seems unusual." Tibarn scratched his head.

Leanne was still hopping up and down. "That means the kidnappers went this way!" she exclaimed. "If we keep going then we'll find Lillia!"

"Leanne, I still think we should go back," Rafiel whispered. "I don't feel safe knowing that the kidnappers went this way. What if they're nearby?"

"We have Sir Tibarn with us," Reyson replied.

"And Naesala! We'll be safe!" Leanne told her brother. "Come on, Rafiel! Let's go!"

However, the sound of rustling leaves from behind interrupted them. They all turned around, Naesala taking a defensive pose. He noticed Tibarn doing the same.

"There you are!" One of the heron nobles appeared from out of the bushes. He seemed out of breath. "Master Naesala, you need to return to the center of the forest. It's urgent!"

Naesala's eyes widened. "Did something happen to Nealuchi?" _Not the plague... please don't say he got the plague..._

"He received a letter from Kilvas and sent me out to find you. He didn't say why."

Naesala nodded. "All right. I'll follow you back."

"Perhaps we should all head back," Tibarn suggested. "We can continue our search later."

Leanne put on a pouty face but went back with them anyway. She continued to hold onto Naesala's hand, as though she had claimed him as her own personal escort. Naesala didn't mind; in fact, it was helping him stay calm as they walked back. A letter from Kilvas could mean anything.

_Maybe the plague has lifted? No, I can't get my hopes up... Oh, what if someone important died! Did the king die? The prince is too young to take the throne, and there aren't any retainers. Was Kilvas attacked? No, I have to stay calm. I can't keep jumping to conclusions like this..._

The heron led them to the throne room. Naesala rushed in to see Nealuchi staring in shock at the letter in his hands. His face was completely white.

"Nealuchi, what is it? Tell me!"

Nealuchi slowly turned to him and solemnly handed him the letter. "Nestling... it's horrible..."

Naesala had to read over the parchment twice to make sure that he wasn't imagining it:

_"The plague has finally reached the royal family. The queen was found dead about an hour after you left, and as I amwriting this letter we are mourning over the loss of our only heir, Prince Rian. The king is completely devastated. Once word of this reaches the people, Kilvas will be in chaos. I know you are busy with the problems in Serenes, but please return to Kilvas as soon as possible. You are one of the few of the king's trusted ravens who still seem to have any sanity left. If possible, please bring young Naesala with you._

_Fly safely._

_Seeker"_

The young raven looked up at Nealuchi. "The prince... Why? He was so young! Why couldn't they have sent him away from Kilvas, where he would have been safe?"

The old crow shook his head. "It wouldn't have mattered, Nestling. One of our soldiers died during a three-day raid mission. The plague must have spread so much that leaving Kilvas makes no difference anymore."

A flurry of emotions was building up inside of Naesala. Grief at the loss of the little prince was combining with anger that the king couldn't fix anything, and those two were now mixing with his current anxiety about Lillia's disappearance. Three negative forces swirled around inside of his stomach, churning the breakfast he had and making him incredibly nauseous. He suddenly felt light-headed and stumbled, leaning against a chair for support.

"Nestling! Are you all right?" Nealuchi rushed over to him.

"I... I think I'm going to be sick..."

Nealuchi raised his eyebrows. "Nestling... what do you mean by 'sick'--"

"It's not that..." Naesala shook his head. "I'm just... too much happening..."

He felt the old crow pat his back. "Nestling, I understand. I feel the same way every day. You should sit down."

Naesala sat down in the chair and put his head in his hands.

_It's like when you think the worst has happened, it gets worse. Kilvas has no heir... How can we possibly survive? Even if we survive this plague, once the king dies, there will be nothing! The beorc kingdoms are probably just waiting for Kilvas to completely collapse so that they can take over! Maybe that's what Begnion wanted all along, those heartless bastards! _

He suddenly felt something tugging at his sleeve. He turned to see Leanne and Reyson looking at him with concern.

"Naesala, it will be okay," Leanne told him softly.

"We'll all have to get through this together," Reyson added. "As long as we have each other, we can make it."

Naesala smiled slightly at their innocence. _Typical herons... but how would I ever be able to make it without them?_ "Thanks, you guys. You're right." He let out a deep sigh. "We'll make it... somehow." He glanced over at Nealuchi and noticed that the old crow was wiping a tear away.

Then Leanne gasped and trotted over to Nealuchi. "Look what we found!" She proudly showed him the scrap of fabric they had found in the woods. "We think it belongs to the kidnappers!"

Nealuchi blinked for a second and took the fabric from her hands. Then he seemed to understand what Naesala and Tibarn had realized earlier and nodded. "Good work, Princess Leanne! I will show this to the others."

Leanne beamed. "We'll find her!"

That evening Nealuchi decided that they should leave in two days, just in case any more signs of Lillia appeared. Another search party was going out, led by Tibarn, to follow the trail of the fabric scrap.

"Nestling, you best stay here with the herons," Nealuchi suggested. "You need some rest."

Naesala agreed and decided to go with Reyson and Leanne in Reyson's room. Leanne was making a necklace from flowers she had picked earlier, while Reyson was reading through a book.

"Reyson, is this pretty?" Leanne asked her brother, holding up the necklace. It was comprised of lilies and cherry blossoms.

Reyson smiled. "Yes, it is pretty, little sister."

"It's going to be for Lillia when it gets back. That's why I put lilies in it," she explained, returning to working on the necklace.

Naesala glanced over and saw worry etch itself into Reyson's face. The heron put down his book and slouched over.

"Reyson, maybe they'll find her, after all," the raven told him. Then he groaned. "Too much crap going on right now... we need to find a way to distract ourselves from it."

Leanne popped up. "Let's sing a song!"

"A song?" Naesala laughed softly. "You know I can't sing. I'm a raven. Have you ever heard ravens try to sing?"

The princess frowned. "But I want to hear you sing! Please?"

Naesala glanced over at Reyson. _Please volunteer to sing, Reyson. Read my eyes. Volunteer to sing._

Reyson caught his glance. Slowly, a smile stretched across his face... or was it a smirk? "Yes, Naesala, why don't we hear you sing?"

_Ah, damn. He's taking after me._ Naesala sighed. "Fine... what should I sing?"

"Sing The Lily Song!" Leanne chirped.

"The Lily song?! Leanne, I'm not a _girl_!" However, her innocent giggling convinced him. _I can never say no to her... Sheesh..._ After taking a big breath, he began to sing The Lily Song:

"When I ran down the country lane,

I saw a little tree.

And underneath the little tree

I saw a white lily.

I tried to pick the white lily

to give to my dear Mum,

but then the lily turned to me

and thus began to hum..."

He stopped because Leanne was laughing hysterically.

"It's so bad!" she squealed between giggles. "This is how ravens sing?"

"Yes, this is how they sing. Now you've heard. Reyson, why don't you sing?" Naesala suggested, turning to the heron prince. However, Reyson was trying hard to hide a chuckle.

"No, Naesala. I think you should continue. You haven't even gotten to the best part of the song!" Reyson exclaimed. "Come on. What did the lily hum?"

Naesala groaned. "You're enjoying this way too much..." Then he continued:

"'My name is Princess Lilly-Poo,

so please don't pick me up!

I sit here prettily all day

with my friend Buttercup.'"

Reyson couldn't contain it any longer. He burst out into laughter, holding his stomach and nearly doubling over. It was so contagious that even Naesala began chuckling, until all three of them were laughing so loudly, one would have thought they were insane.

Naesala finally wiped some tears from his eyes. His sides were burning, but in a good way. The laughing seemed to refresh him. There was a new lightness in his heart that he hadn't felt in a while. He plopped down onto the floor and caught his breath.

"Who even wrote that song?" he asked. "It's the stupidest song ever..."

"I think it's a song they wrote to teach little fledglings about flowers," Reyson replied. "You know, it goes through all the different flowers and stuff. I don't remember how it ends."

"Me neither. I haven't had to sing that in years..." Naesala ran a hand through his hair, which had fallen out of place from all of his laughter.

Leanne hopped up and down. "Remember? She has to go find all Princess Lilly-Poo's flower friends and plant them next to her, so then all the flowers can sing together!"

Reyson nodded. "That's right..."

For the rest of the night they continued laughing and talking, while Leanne and Reyson made more requests for Naesala to sing childhood songs. The last thing Naesala remembered from that night was Leanne singing a lullaby. For a little girl, she had a beautiful voice, so soothing and sweet. He fell asleep thinking of running through the Serenes Forest, so carefree and innocent, with Lillia and Rafiel trailing behind to keep them from getting into too much trouble.

Two days later, Naesala packed up all of his belongings to return to Kilvas. Then he and Nealuchi met with the herons to say their good-byes.

"You're coming back, right?" Leanne asked, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Of course, Leanne!" Naesala replied, trying to sound as hopeful as possible. "I don't know when, but I promise I'll come back and visit you."

"Yay!" She squealed and gave him a big hug.

Rafiel smiled. "Good-bye, Naesala. And thank you for keeping our little sister entertained."

"Always a pleasure to help escort a young lady." Naesala bowed and gave a dashing grin. "You be good now, Leanne, you hear?"

"I will! Don't worry!"

"Reyson." He turned to the heron prince. "I'll see you later. Keep Leanne out of trouble."

Reyson laughed. "I'll try my best. Good-bye! Have a safe flight!"

"Well, Nestling?" Nealuchi patted his shoulder. "It's time to leave."

"Right, right." But Naesala didn't want to leave. Rafiel, Reyson, and Leanne had become like family to him. Even Lillia, since she seemed like the only one who could have helped him. _I hope they find you... They all miss you a lot._ He was about to fly off but decided to turn around and get one last look at Leanne, Reyson, and Rafiel. Then he waved and launched himself up into the air behind Nealuchi. It would be the last time he would see Serenes Forest for several years.

* * *

_Okay, back in the United States with access to a computer! Have you ever noticed how excited little kids are all the time? They also like to jump around a lot... Aww, last time portraying Leanne as a little kid... It's been fun. You all probably know what's coming up next. I think I've hinted at it enough times..._


	9. Chapter 9: The Serenes Massacre

_I think that the Serenes Massacre changed the way the bird tribes lived forever. It certainly refueled my hatred for Begnion. That night still lingers so vividly in my mind. I had never seen Reyson look so scared. Part of him must have died with the forest that night, because he never really was the same after that._

Chapter 9 -- The Serenes Massacre

It had been a year since Lillia's disappearance, and many of the bird tribes were beginning to give up hope. The plague in Kilvas had finally stopped, after lasting one hundred days and taking out about half of the population. With both the queen and Prince Rian dead, the king had no hope for an heir. He spent most of his days in solitude, giving orders to the soldiers to attack various ships. Naesala went on most of these raids since he was one of the strongest ravens left on the island. Because of this, he seldom had the time to visit Serenes anymore, though he wasn't too upset about it; the atmosphere there was now as solemn as it was in Kilvas.

One night, though, everything changed. Naesala was still wide awake, sitting outside the castle on the roof and staring at the starry sky. The sun had gone down about five hours ago, but Naesala could not fall asleep. Something inside of him kept nagging at him, trying to warn him that something terrible was happening or about to happen.

_The way things are going now, though, how could it get any worse?_ he thought. _Is the hawk tribe going to be affected next or something?_

Suddenly, he spotted something in the sky moving toward him. In his limited night vision he could just barely make out two white forms flying quickly. _Two herons._

He jumped to his feet and waved his arms to get their attention. One of them must have noticed him because he motioned to the other one. They landed next to Naesala and transformed back into their human forms; they were Lorazieh and Reyson, and both looked incredibly weary.

"Wh-where's Nealuchi?" Reyson gasped. "We need to get inside!"

Lorazieh began to topple over, but Naesala caught him just in time. "I've got your father. Follow me." He led them down to the window and called for Nealuchi. The old crow appeared, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Nestling, what is going on?"

Reyson ran up to him and grabbed his shoulders. "Sir Nealuchi, please, let us stay here! My father is very weak, and we have nowhere else to go--"

"What are you talking about?" Naesala interrupted. "Did something happen in Serenes?"

He then felt Lorazieh's hands clinging to his arms for support. The heron king gasped heavily. "Serenes is destroyed," he whispered. "All of it, burned down, everyone is dead..."

Naesala suddenly felt the urge to be sick. Nealuchi's eyes had widened with horror. "B-by whom?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"Begnion." Reyson spat out the name with disgust. "They came with torches in a raid and k... they k..." He began shaking with sobs and collapsed to his knees.

Nealuchi nodded gravely. "Nestling, can you stay here with Prince Reyson? I will give King Lorazieh a room to rest in and inform the king of what has happened." Then he took Lorazieh from Naesala's arms and carried him down the hallway.

Naesala rushed over to his friend. "Why? Why would they do such a thing?" he asked.

"I don't know... something about the Apostle..." Reyson stood up and dried his eyes. "But they were so full of anger and hate. I could feel their fiery wrath. It was terrible. They just kept killing and killing... I saw Mother fall down with blood all over her and..." He looked at Naesala with pained eyes. "Father and I are the only ones who made it out."

Naesala gasped. "You mean... Leanne didn't..."

Reyson grabbed onto him and began sobbing uncontrollably. "Everyone's dead! Even Leanne! They killed my mother and my brother and my baby sister!" he screamed. "I hate them! I hate them so much!"

"No... no no no!" Naesala felt his legs suddenly turn to gelatin, but he remained standing. He put his arms around his friend to try to console him. _Not Leanne... an innocent child! Those damned humans!_ His hatred for beorc grew stronger than ever before.

King Kilvas was also grieved when he heard the news that night, and he agreed to let the herons stay in Kilvas. Lorazieh was so devastated that he remained bedridden for the next few weeks. Reyson was much hardier, but he still stayed fairly quiet. Naesala tried to comfort him as much as he could, though deep down inside he knew that Leanne was never coming back. She had been like a sister to him, and yet he couldn't protect her when she needed it most.

_Why is all of this happening?_

Reyson asked him that same question one rainy afternoon, thirteen days after their arrival in Kilvas. They were standing in Naesala's room, watching the rain fall gently on the rocks below his window. "Why would anyone want to kill us? We never did anything to hurt them! First they steal Lillia, then they wipe out our forest and our family..."

Naesala sighed. "Nealuchi talked to some of our scouts who have been in Begnion. It seems that those stupid humans are blaming you for the assassination of the Apostle."

"What?" Reyson's jaw dropped. "We have always tried to live in harmony with them! We are the least violent of the laguz tribes!" He slammed his fist on the windowsill and then winced. His knuckles were bleeding.

"Reyson, you're a heron. You can't punch things," Naesala muttered with a half-smile. "You better patch that up." He rummaged through his clothes until he found an old shirt that had gotten too small for him. Then he tore off a scrap and tied it around Reyson's hand.

"Thank you," the heron mumbled in embarrassment. "I'm just so angry, and I don't know how to vent it."

"Yeah, you can't really go out on raids with us," Naesala replied. "Well, you don't have to talk nicely about them. They're just humans."

Reyson was quiet for a while. Then he slowly whispered, "Hu... hum... humans. Stupid humans."

"There you go! Don't call them beorc! I never do."

"I know you don't," Reyson replied. Then he let out a small laugh. "I always told myself that I would never use that word..."

"Times change, unfortunately." Naesala stared out the window. "In less than a year the population of Kilvas dropped by more than half. There's no heir. No one knows what will happen when the king dies."

They both turned silent, trying to let their worries drip away like the falling rain. Naesala was beginning to find that the simple sound of rain was so relaxing, temporarily soothing his fears and anxiety. Tellius was changing in a way that had not been seen before.

_One thing is for sure,_ the young raven thought. _Nothing will ever be the same again._

The next day Nealuchi suggested that Reyson learn the New Tongue so that he could communicate with the rest of Tellius. The heron prince spent a lot of him time learning from Nealuchi, especially when Naesala went on raids. He learned very slowly and felt a bit of resentment toward the same language that was spoken by the people who had murdered his family. However, after a few weeks he managed to have a short conversation in the New Tongue.

"G-good morning, Naesala," he stammered in a monotonous mumble.

"Oh, good mor... Hey, you used the New Tongue!" Naesala grinned. "It's not so bad, right?"

Reyson frowned. "Not as... pretty. I like old language good."

"Better," Naesala corrected instinctively. "You like it better."

Reyson glared. "Hate humans. Hate language."

"You'll have to get used to it, Reyson. You have to represent your father, and trust me, very few laguz can really speak the Old Tongue anymore."

Reyson sighed. "I know. But I still hate it," he whispered in his familiar tongue.

Naesala smiled to try cheering him up. "Well, you already know a few useful words in the New Tongue."

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember? I taught you all those human swears."

Reyson shook his head and laughed. "That won't do me any good as my father's representative."

"True... but you never know. It may come in handy someday," Naesala replied. "Perhaps if your father wants to express something very strongly..."

Reyson leaned against the wall and stared at his feet. "They don't know how well Father will be able to handle all of this. He's still very weak... Tibarn sent me a letter and said that he is coming over here soon to meet with your king to see about where we'll stay and what we'll do..."

Naesala raised his eyebrows. "Can't you just stay here? We have plenty of room these days..."

"Well, I don't know about Father's health... Phoenicis is much grassier, you know. It would probably be better for him. Besides, Tibarn is worried that the plague might resurface."

"Yeah..." Naesala sighed. "I guess that makes sense." However, he really didn't want Reyson to leave. He had been so lonely in Kilvas before the herons came, and Reyson was the one he would probably consider to be his best friend. He didn't want Reyson to catch on to this feeling, though, so he covered it up with a smirk. "Well, you better come back and visit me! Otherwise I'll start to think that you don't care about your first babysitter!"

"Babysitter?" Reyson looked at him in mock confusion. "Excuse me, Naesala, but you're not _that_ much older than me! I think Sir Nealuchi was more of a babysitter than you were!"

"Oh please, Reyson... I always had to look out for you when we'd run off into the woods!"

"That's because you'd always make us sneak out when we weren't supposed to!"

Naesala laughed. "You got me there."

Reyson smiled softly. "Anyway, I will come to Kilvas and visit when I can. After all, you're... well, you're one of the closest friends I have, Naesala."

Naesala perked up in surprise. "Me? Even after all of the trouble I got you into?"

"We've known each other since we were so little," Reyson replied. "And, well... most of my friends from Serenes were..."

"I understand." Naesala patted his friend on the back. "In that case you better visit me. When you're able to, of course."

Reyson was silent for a while. "Naesala," he finally whispered, "thank you. This has all just been... difficult."

"Remember what you said before?" Naesala asked. "We'll get through this together."

A few days later, Tibarn arrived in Kilvas. He had just recently been named king of Phoenicis, for the previous king decided to retire. Tibarn brought his two retainers, Janaff and Ulki, along with him. King Kilvas did not seem amused by the idea of having three hawks in his country, so he had Nealuchi do most of the planning with them. Reyson had to sit in the meetings to represent his father, so Naesala invited himself along. He figured he could always help Nealuchi. Reyson soon learned that what Naesala had said about the New Tongue was true, for Janaff and Ulki hardly understood any of the Old Tongue.

It was finally decided that Reyson and Lorazieh would stay in Phoenicis, with Reyson representing the heron clan. They would not try to return to Serenes until the unrest in Begnion died down. However, Naesala convinced Tibarn to let Reyson visit Kilvas as often as he liked. Something in the new hawk king's reluctant agreement told Naesala that he wasn't very fond of the idea, which made the raven feel even better about it.

After everything was settled, Reyson prepared to leave for his new home. Janaff and Ulki carried the sickly Lorazieh.

"Naesala, I wish you the best of luck in Kilvas," Reyson told his friend as they stood outside the castle. "I will write to you as soon as I get settled in Phoenicis."

Naesala grinned. "Good luck to you, too, my friend. I'm sure you'll have the New Tongue down in no time."

The hawks then flew off with the last two remaining herons. Naesala watched as Reyson's white wings slowly faded away in the horizon, and he hoped that this would not be the last time he saw his heron friend.

* * *

_So thankfully I got this up before my next vacation. I will be gone until the beginning of August, so don't expect any more updates until then. Here's where I start to forget little backstory details, so if I change things, that's why._


	10. Chapter 10: Your Death for Kilvas

_You want to know how I became king? I'll tell you how. It wasn't the way most laguz become king. It was a combination of chance, my anger, and the old king's depravation. Our way of doing things usually involves violence. Some people regret causing someone else's death, but this death I still don't regret to this day. I think it's what gave us a little more time._

Chapter 10 -- Your Death for Kilvas

In over a year and a half, Kilvas had become like a foreign country to Naesala. The streets were desolate, and few dared wander from their homes out of fear that the plague would return. Kilvas had no heir, and it would be only a matter of time before another country would try to invade. Naesala soon found himself wandering through the castle every day, straining his ears in a hope that he would hear little Prince Rian's laughter. Since Reyson was now living in Phoenicis, he was often quite lonely.

One day a sudden curiosity led him to the king's private corridor. Part of him was hoping that he would find the two senators from Begnion in there so that he could rip them to shreds. However, the library was empty, though he noticed several books lying open on the floor. Various papers had been strewn all over the place.

Naesala walked over to the desk to find another messy pile of open books there. The top book on the stack was heavily worn, and the pages had yellowed with age. He began skimming through it out of boredom when one word in particular grabbed his eye. It was written in the ancient script of the Old Tongue, but he translated it as "blood pact."

_Sounds like some ancient ritual or something,_ he thought, but he decided to read on:

"_The blood pact was developed by sages in the olden days to enslave the foolish ruler. The first party becomes subservient to the second party in exchange for protection. The first party must fulfill the wishes of the second party, or else all citizens descended from the first party will slowly die off. It is believed that this practice first originated in Begnion in the early days of the empire._"

Naesala refused to read anymore. He picked up the book and angrily threw it across the room. "That idiot!" he shouted. "That stupid, stupid, stupid--"

"Wh-what are you doing in here?"

Naesala turned to see the king in the doorway, watching him with wide, fearful eyes. His face looked as though it had aged twenty years in the last few weeks. However, Naesala could feel no pity for him at the moment.

"How could you have signed that damn blood pact with Begnion? Begnion, that nation that nearly wiped out the heron tribe!"

The king froze. "H-how did you..."

"It's in the book! I saw you all those years ago in this very room signing the contract that nearly wiped out Kilvas!" Naesala glared at him. "All those stupid missions we went on were because of those damn humans, weren't they?"

The king slowly let out a deep sigh. "I had no choice, Naesala. Kilvas wouldn't have survived without Begnion's support. I didn't realize that the consequences would be like this..."

"You didn't _ask_ first?" A deep rage was boiling inside Naesala. "This is all your fault! It's all your fault that Kilvas is dying out!"

The king's eyes deepened in pain. "Naesala, just listen to me. Before you were born, the ravens and hawks lived together in Phoenicis. However, the ravens felt that they didn't get enough representation. We left Phoenicis and created a nation of ravens here in Kilvas. Unfortunately, the hawks threatened to take us back. We tried to avoid war for as long as possible, but about fourteen years ago it seemed inevitable. Begnion must have found out about our plight, because they sent two senators here to make a deal with us."

"The blood pact," Naesala growled.

"I only thought it would affect me!" the king cried. "I had no idea so many ravens would die! Even my only son! My wife!"

Naesala had to clench his fists to keep himself from springing forward and killing him. "Is there any way to cancel the pact?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"I... I have been researching that same question," the king replied in a shaky voice. "Few books even mention the blood pact, but there is one book--" he gestured to the one Naesala had been reading "--that mentions a possible way to break the pact."

"Well? What is it?"

"The signer must die." The king gulped. "But it seems that I cannot take my own life; otherwise, I would have done that when little Rian..." He sank to the ground. "I'll admit it! I have failed! I have failed Kilvas as her king!"

"So now we're supposed to wait until you die before Kilvas is free? That hopefully won't be much longer," Naesala muttered.

Suddenly, the king gasped and looked at Naesala with crazed eyes. "Naesala! You're a strong fighter! You can take my place!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You will be the next king of Kilvas! In fact, I have declared it. Please, Naesala!" The king crawled toward him. "I have no heir. Once I die Kilvas will be leaderless. But I know you can do it, Naesala."

Naesala gulped. "You're crazy."

"I am crazy. I've lost everything. I have nothing to live for," the king whispered. "I can only hope that I am killed soon in a raid to end my misery."

"I'll gladly grant that wish!" Naesala crouched forward, ready to transform.

"Oh, Naesala! Do not kill me! I am not a sick buzzard who needs to be put out of his misery!" The king cowered back.

"I'm not doing it out of pity. I'm doing it because I hate you, and I want to save Kilvas!" He transformed into his raven form and lunged forward.

The king screamed one last time before Naesala silenced him by severing his throat with his talons. Then he transformed back and leaned against the desk, panting for breath.

_I just killed him... I've killed the king of Kilvas. They'll think I was staging a coup or something._

Footsteps approaching caused him to catch his breath. Nealuchi burst into the room and gasped at the gruesome sight. "Nestling?! What have you...? How... Why--"

"Shut the door and bar it shut, Nealuchi!" Naesala ordered.

The frightened crow obeyed and then ran over to the bloody remains of the king. "H-he's dead! His majesty is dead!" Nealuchi turned to Naesala and eyed the blood on his hands and clothes. He could only stare helplessly, unable to find the words he wanted to say.

"Nealuchi, the king had betrayed us all," Naesala whispered. "He signed a blood pact with Begnion that killed off most of the population--"

"Nestling, what are you talking about?"

Naesala sighed. "Look in that book over there. It explains what a blood pact is."

Nealuchi picked up the book and read through the section on blood pacts. When he had finished, his face dropped, and the book slipped out of his hands. "So it wasn't a plague," he whispered. "And the signer has to die... the signer meaning the king..."

"You see, Nealuchi? It had to be done. But believe me, it gave me a lot of pleasure to do it." Naesala began wiping the blood from his hands onto his clothes. "That idiot should never have ruled Kilvas in the first place."

Nealuchi shook his head and breathed a heavy sigh. "But now who will rule Kilvas? There is no heir! The nation will be in an uproar!"

Naesala slowly took a deep breath. He didn't like the idea of ruling a nation at such a young age. "Nealuchi, before I killed him, he requested that I take his place as king."

The old crow gasped. "Nestling?! You?! You rule Kilva--"

"I'm pretty sure he was already going crazy," Naesala interrupted. "I only killed him to save Kilvas."

There was silence for a while as Nealuchi thought this over.

Naesala pulled out the chair from the desk and collapsed into it. "Besides, Nealuchi, they'd never let me be king once they found out that I was the one who killed him," he muttered, rubbing some sweat off his forehead.

"No one has to know," the old crow whispered.

Naesala nearly fell out of his seat. "You can't be serious! You think _I_ could rule Kilvas?"

"Nestling..." Nealuchi flashed a partial smile. "I've been raising you all these years now. I know you well enough to know that you have the right kind of heart to lead. You love Kilvas."

"No way! That's not..." However, the idea was slowly becoming more appealing to him. _I could prevent Kilvas from entering any more stupid blood contracts. I could find a better way to bring in money and rebuild this country._

Nealuchi sighed. "Nestling, I guess you don't realize this, but... you are the next in line for the throne. Prince Rian was first, and then the retainers, and then the king's first cousin. All of them were taken by the blood pact. You're the king's next of kin."

"Are you... serious?" He leaned back in his chair. "Then I guess I don't have much choice... But you know, I think I... I will do it. I will become the next king of Kilvas..." _Wait a minute, think about this! How are you going to convince the ravens that you didn't just do this for power? _

Nealuchi took off his outer robe and wrapped up the king's body. "First, we need to have a funeral for the king. It is only proper."

"Then you're going to announce me as king? Oh, this will be fun..." Naesala closed his eyes. _Then again, maybe I can improve Kilvas. They always joked about how I was one of the strongest raiders. Maybe that will make them listen to me. I need to get us out of the mess that the old king got us into. _

After Nealuchi finished with the body, he went over to Naesala and patted him on the shoulder. "You are Kilvas' only hope now. But I know you can do it, Nestling. I will give you my full support."

The citizens of Kilvas were shocked to learn that their king was dead. The news spread that he had killed himself in a fit of insanity. Naesala almost wished that the truth had been spread around instead, only because he was worried that the ravens would be smart enough to see through such a stereotyped lie. Nealuchi discussed with the few remaining captains and convinced them to name Naesala as the next king. They were fairly eager to do so, since they knew the young raven well from their raids.

Three days after the old king's funeral, a small ceremony was held outside of Castle Kilvas. Naesala was named the next king in front of the rest of the citizens of Kilvas. The whole affair seemed like a dream to him, yet the thrill of being in front of so many ravens kept him awake. Each one was staring at him attentively, not in an accusing way, but in a trusting way.

_They all trust in me,_ he thought as he looked out among the small population of the raven clan. Then he noticed a young woman raven carrying a newborn fledgling. Some other young fledglings were scampering around her. Naesala realized that since the plague had stopped, the ravens were no longer afraid to reproduce. The population was slowly rising again.

_I have to do this for them._ He smiled softly. _I'm going to bring Kilvas back to life, as long as there is hope in the young ones. We can do this. We can make Kilvas a better place again._

* * *

_Hm, maybe not how some people imagined it, but that's how I always imagined it. Why else would the whole affair have seemed to sketchy to Tibarn later on in Radiant Dawn? Anyway, now on to the fun part: Naesala's reign!_


	11. Chapter 11: Hopelessly Trapped

_There's always a catch to everything. I thought that all of Kilvas' problems were cleared up. I figured that leading a small nation of ravens would be easy, and that soon we'd emerge into a power to be reckoned with. I forgot how cruel the senators of Begnion were. The blood pact had already triggered an obstacle in my path, and it would only continue to do so for many years._

Chapter 11 -- Hopelessly Trapped

It took a few days for Naesala to get used to his new position. For one thing, he was so accustomed to answering to "Naesala" or "Nestling" that he kept forgetting that when someone said "King" or "Your Majesty," they were also talking to him. Another was the fact that he got to move into the luxurious king's bedroom with a balcony that had a spectacular view of Kilvas. For the most part, soldiers were all right with answering to him, since he had been somewhat in charge of the army while the plague was going on. Captain Seeker seemed a little wary at first, since the new raven king was much younger than him. The people were very hopeful, and they seemed to trust him. During the whole first week of his kingship, Naesala started to feel that this might actually work.

_I know the rebuilding process will be slow, but maybe... just maybe, Kilvas will rise again._ He was sitting on his balcony, taking a break one afternoon and thinking about everything that had happened recently. _I guess once things settle down a little, I'll be able to visit Reyson in Phoenicis. I bet he's shocked right now, knowing I'm king of Kilvas._ He grinned. _The only problem now is dealing with the other countries. The hawks are... tolerable, I guess. But then there are the beast tribes in Gallia... I've heard King Caineghis is not one to mess with. And the dragons... then again, no one's really heard from the dragons for a while. I'd like to avoid them as much as possible._

Being king also meant that he got to choose which ships to raid. _Anyone from Begnion is automatically a target,_ he thought. _I guess I could leave the Crimeans alone... Ah, hell, let's just raid anyone without feathers or fur. Those humans deserve it, anyway. We could use the money, too. We'll build up Kilvas' army and treasury, and then try to get some land. Then Begnion won't want to mess with us anymore. Or Phoenicis, for that matter._ He nodded as several plans and dreams began popping into his head. _I guess this whole being king thing isn't so bad, after all._ He then looked down and realized that he had been absentmindedly scratching a spot on his left wrist for a while now. Glancing at it, he noticed that it was getting red.

_Dry skin, maybe. Or a flea bite. Ugh, we need to get the fleas off of Kilvas. Clean this place up a little._ He watched the waves crashing down below. There was something exciting about all of this new power. Even though he had been dreading it at first, since it was his fault that the previous king was dead, Naesala was starting to feel a rush every time reality hit him.

Yet a little voice inside of him continued to whisper, so softly: "It's not this easy."

The rest of the week was spent trying to negotiate with the neighboring countries, mainly Phoenicis. Since he was now king, Naesala had to know about which territories he was allowed to order raids in. Nealuchi accompanied him to the hawk kingdom to meet with a bewildered Tibarn.

"This is all very... sudden..." Tibarn remarked as he eyed Naesala over upon his arrival. "Well, welcome to kinghood."

"Can we just get this over with?" Naesala muttered. "I have a lot to take care of back home, too." He heard Nealuchi suck in his breath in shock. _The old crow has no idea how much I can't stand this hawk... I don't need to have any fancy manners around him. _

Tibarn seemed to be expecting bad manners from the raven. He shrugged his shoulders. "I just don't like having unnecessary competition. Your border lies about twenty leagues outside of Kilvas' shores. If the ship passes that border, it's mine. You got that?"

"I'll try my best, but if my men get greedy, I can't make any promises." He smirked.

Tibarn crossed his arms and returned the smirk. "You forget, King Kilvas, that I've been in power longer than you have. If we were to spar right now, I'd easily defeat you."

"Why would I even bother sparring against you?" Naesala replied. "I have much better things to do with my time."

"S-sirs, please!" Nealuchi stuttered. "This is no time to argue about who's stronger! We're just here to settle any possible border disputes."

Naesala groaned. "Right, right. I can't go outside twenty leagues of our shores. I got it. What else is there to discuss?"

"Well, for starters... who exactly do you plan on raiding?"

"Is that even a question? I'm willing to raid any ships with treasure."

Tibarn narrowed his eyes. "I was thinking of only focusing on Begnion ships. After what they did to our heron kin... They need to be punished!"

Naesala thought for a moment. _That sounds good... Then again, we could make a ton more money if we stole from anyone..._ "Well, you can focus on Begnion. I'll steal from anyone."

"Suit yourself," Tibarn replied. "Just don't think about--"

"Getting into your territory. Seriously, hawk king, I'm not stupid..." Naesala wanted to find some ways to further insult Tibarn, but then he noticed something white approaching him from the side and turned to see Reyson. The young heron was talking with Janaff and Ulki. He grinned and called out to him. "Reyson!"

Reyson turned to him and nodded, smiling.

"King Kilvas, can we stick with the business at hand, here? Reyson is busy with his language lessons." Tibarn frowned.

"He doesn't seem too busy to me." Naesala began walking toward his friend. "Besides, there isn't much else to discuss." He could hear Nealuchi frantically apologizing behind him. _If you can have my friend stay here, then I think I should at least be allowed to speak with him on the rare occasions that I can actually visit!_

"Naesala, I heard that you have become the new king of Kilvas," Reyson remarked in the new tongue.

Naesala jumped in shock. "Reyson? You're speaking the new tongue so fluently! How did that happen?"

"I have been studying a lot," he replied. "It has been over a year since I last saw you, remember?"

"True... Time certainly flies..." He glanced over at Janaff and Ulki, who were standing on either side of Reyson. "Are these your escorts?"

"Oh, Janaff and Ulki are just helping me learn the new tongue." Reyson smiled. "They have been a great help!"

"Thanks, Prince!" Janaff replied happily. Then he eyed Naesala over. "So, you're the new king of Kilvas... Kinda young, isn't he?"

"Not much younger than King Tibarn, I'm sure," Ulki noted. "I do hope that the bond between our two nations will remain strong, King Kilvas."

"Yeah... Hopefully..." Naesala forced a smile. _Ugh, I hate these hawks so much... Trying to be all friendly and such when they know we're in competition as pirates._ He turned to Reyson again. "So, how are they treating you here? They're not letting you go hungry or anything, are they?"

Reyson's eyes widened. "No no, of course not! The hawks have been more than kind." Then he sighed. "Wow, Naesala... I still cannot imagine you as a king."

"What, you think I'm not qualified?" Naesala made a mock frown. "Reyson, you wound me so!"

"Well... I would hope you are qualified, Naesala! I'm only saying that it is just... strange, I guess," he mumbled. "You have never exactly been the... er, kingly type."

Naesala laughed. "I guess it's time to break the stereotypes, then! You know, Reyson, our shores are always open to you. And your father, when he gets better."

Reyson's eyes darkened. "Father still has not improved... I do not know if he ever will, at this rate."

"Reyson..." Naesala patted his friend on the shoulder. "He will get better. I know it. Someday."

Reyson smiled. "Thank you. I only hope you are right..."

That night, after he had returned to Kilvas, Naesala went back to his room right after dinner to get some rest. He also knew he had to work out some of the country's finances. However, as soon as he shut the door, the itching spot on his arm started to burn again.

_Not again... This is so annoying..._

He scratched it and went over to his dresser, but the irritation in his arm soon turned into a burning pain. Then, all of a sudden, a sharper pain exploded in his arm. He gasped from the shock of it and grabbed onto his arm, only to notice that he felt something wet coming through his sleeve. Frantically shoving back his sleeve, he looked at his arm and saw blood gushing out of what was now a curiously-shaped wound on his wrist.

_What... what the hell is this?_

He ripped off a scrap of fabric from the hem of his shirt to wipe off the blood. Steadily the pain grew stronger and seemed to travel in a pattern around the wound. Something about it seemed so familiar. Naesala looked at the wound again, gritting his teeth. Visions of a dark corridor came to his mind, along with those of the symbol on another arm, a horrible deal being made, two beorc men in white smiling maliciously...

"No!" Naesala stumbled back against the wall, clutching onto his left wrist. Terror shot through his veins, creeping through his body with an icy crawl and numbing everything except for the fiery pain in his wrist. Time had stalled to a halt, while Naesala wished with every ounce of his being that he was only dreaming, that it was only some horrible kind of nightmare. But the pulsing fire in his wrist kept him grounded in reality. He glanced down at the wound again. Sure enough, it was the same symbol he had seen on the king's wrist several years ago, back when all of Kilvas' trouble began. The blood pact.

"No... no no no..." He sank to the floor, trembling. _But how? The signer of the contract is dead! How can it possibly still be in effect?_

As if to answer his questions, a flash appeared in the center of the room, and suddenly one of the two senators from Begnion appeared, the one who had smiled at him in Serenes Forest all those years ago. For the first time, Naesala was able to get a good look at his face. He was blonde, with a thick moustache, and was slightly heavyset. Part of him wanted to jump at him and rip him apart, but the other part was completely terrified. The senator smiled at him coldly.

"So, you are the new king of Kilvas. We had heard that the previous one died quite suddenly and mysteriously." He glanced down at Naesala's quivering arm and nodded. "It looks like you've already inherited the former king's little deal. I would have come to you sooner, but there have been other pressing issues in Begnion, what with the assassination of the Apostle by your kin."

This caused the fear in Naesala to dissolve instantly. "The herons didn't do it! You know that! They're a peaceful tribe!" he shouted.

The senator shook his head. "You subhumans are still so primitive... at any rate, I believe we should introduce each other, since we will be business partners for the remainder of your kingship."

Naesala glared at him. "I already know what this is. It's a blood pact, and you tricked the king into signing it. Well, I refuse to accept! Kilvas can get along just fine without your help!"

"Oh, I'm afraid it doesn't work that way," he replied. "The contract will be in effect as long as Kilvas remains a country. The death of the king means nothing. The pact will be passed down from king to king forever. It's in the contract that your former king signed."

Naesala felt his stomach drop. _Kilvas is still... cursed... we're still trapped... oh, that bastard! Why the hell would he do this to us?_

"My, my, you certainly are a young one... I suppose you killed your king and took over, thinking you could save your raven friends?" The senator chuckled, as though he was amused. "How charming."

Naesala stood up, enraged. "You bastard! What more do you want?"

"Now, now, no need to get angry. Remember, from now on, you must fulfill our demands." He flashed a sickeningly sweet smile. "Look on the bright side, King Kilvas. Your country will be protected. Your people will always be safe."

"But not from you," Naesala muttered. Suddenly, the pain shot up his entire arm. He winced but forced himself to remain standing. He refused to bow down to one of the humans who had allowed the killing of Reyson's family.

"That pain will serve as a warning," the senator explained. "It gives you another chance to fulfill our request. If you still refuse, then the ravens will slowly start to die off. Now, you don't want that, do you?"

_Dammit..._ Naesala realized that he had no choice. He didn't want another "mysterious plague" to hit his beloved country. "Fine." He shook off the pain for a moment and faced the senator. "I... accept."

The senator nodded. "Excellent. I am sure we will work very well together. My name is Lekain."

_He treats this like it's just a normal business partnership,_ Naesala thought bitterly. "Naesala," he grunted.

"I am looking forward to your cooperation," Lekain remarked. "Until next time, King Kilvas, farewell."

He lifted up his staff, and with another flash he was gone. Naesala waited another minute before collapsing onto the floor again, putting his head in his hands.

_That's it. We're done for. If I can't meet their demands, Kilvas is ruined. We can't take another widespread death spree... and we need the money. We're stuck. I have to do everything they tell me... Why the hell did I agree to become king?_

_"It will be all right."_ The memory of little Leanne looking so innocently hopeful flashed inside his mind.

_Leanne... you're gone, and yet you're still trying to cheer me up?_ Naesala sighed and leaned back against the wall. The pain in his wrist had lessened to only a dull, occasional throb. _No... I can't give up this easily. That's what the last king did, and it destroyed him. I won't be destroyed. There has to be a way out of this... _He felt a small smile come to his face. _For Leanne... for Rafiel, for Lillia, for Reyson... for Kilvas... I have to stay strong._ He stood up and quickly bandaged his wound and changed his shirt.

_Now, how to proceed... I have to keep this a secret. The less people involved, the better._ But he knew there was one raven whom he could never keep secrets from. Someone who knew everything else about him. He checked himself in the mirror to make sure he at least looked somewhat normal and stepped out into the hallway to look for Nealuchi.

The old crow was on his way to the records room. Naesala's heart was still pounding heavily from the shock of everything that had just happened.

"Ah, Nealuchi? I have to... discuss something with you. Privately." He tried to keep his voice as calm as possible, but he could tell from Nealuchi's raised eyebrows that his caretaker already suspected that something was wrong. He took Nealuchi into the records room and locked the door tight. Then he took a deep breath and pulled back his sleeve.

"Look." He unwrapped the bandages.

Nealuchi gasped. "That's... no, it can't be!"

"It is. The blood pact." Naesala kept his voice low. "It gets passed on from king to king. I have no choice." He went on to explain how the senator visited and told him everything.

After hearing it, Nealuchi pulled over a chair and sat down, shaking his head. "We're doomed..."

"I think there's a way," Naesala whispered. "There has to be. We just have to stay calm and do what he says, no matter how ridiculous it seems. I don't want to end up becoming a wreck like the last king, and I won't let Kilvas die out."

Nealuchi sighed. "Nestling... you're right. I know you won't end up like the last king. You're much stronger."

"I hope you're right... Anyway, you can't tell anyone about this. I only told you because you already know about the blood pact."

The old crow nodded gravely. "I promise, Nestling. I won't tell a soul."

Naesala rewrapped his bandage. The pain in his wrist was now completely gone. _The raven clan won't die. Not while I'm king._

* * *

_Yes, I just stuck the note in there about the fleas as a reference to _Two Weeks_. I promise that I will have a more light-hearted chapter soon..._


	12. Chapter 12: Palmeni Temple

_I needed extra money badly. All of Kilvas did. The plague brought about a horrendous economic depression, and I'm pretty sure that none of the ravens cared how we got the money. The Senators' blood pact paid us decently, but we needed more. That was when I began accepting missions from independents. One of those missions led me to something that only further reinforced to me the dangers of the beorc._

Chapter 12 -- Palmeni Temple

Curiosity was what had led Naesala toward the strange temple in the first place. He was on his way back from fulfilling a small contract outside of Sienne and had decided to do some hunting before nightfall. However, this contract was not for the Begnion Senate; Naesala had also begun branching out and accepting contracts from independent beorc or laguz who needed something stolen or stolen back. This particular contract was from a lesser noble in Begnion who had lost his finest horse in a bet and desperately wanted it back. Naesala had delivered the horse and then spent some time acquainting himself with the layout of Sienne. All in disguise, of course. He knew how much the townspeople of Sienne hated the laguz, and he could not risk having his wings spotted.

Naesala's search for food soon led him close to the edge of a familiar forest. He was planning on avoiding it at first, but something was calling him there. A faint memory of lighter times was whispering to him. He approached what had been the edge of Serenes Forest and ignored the pang in his heart at the sight of all of the charred trees. The trees that remained were dark and gloomy, nothing like the bright, majestic trees that had once stood at this entrance. These current skeletons of trees were reflecting the widespread death that had occurred there not long ago.

_It's been two years now,_ he thought as he picked up a burnt piece of bark from the ground and crumbled it in his fingers. _Two years, and yet they still won't bother to apologize. Not like I can do anything about it... I'm stuck working for those damned murderers now..._

Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings from above caused him to snap to attention. _They're not feathery wings... Wyverns, perhaps?_ He squinted at the sky, and sure enough, two wyverns were flying overhead. The black armor on the creatures' riders told him these were Daein wyverns. He watched them pass in curiosity.

_Daein soldiers flying over Begnion? Hm, I wonder..._ Naesala's scouts had not reported any kind of activity between Daein and Begnion, so he decided to follow them himself. _Luckily, I don't have to be back in Kilvas for a while. Winter means a lack of ships to raid. And I just _have_ to know why this unusual sight has occurred._

He flew after them, staying far enough behind the riders that they would be unable to detect him. As the snow below him grew thicker, he realized that he was heading into Daein.

_This might not be worth it after all... I absolutely hate Daein, and the snow isn't exactly safe to fly through._ However, curiosity can be a demanding and enticing little mistress. She continued to beckon Naesala forward until finally the riders landed outside of a large temple. Naesala hid in the trees nearby, watching as the riders walked into the temple. He continued spying on the entrance, carefully looking over the various beorc who came in and out of the temple.

_This is stupid... I can't tell if anyone here is from Begnion or not._ He glanced up at the sky and realized that the clouds were still threatening to snow heavier. _Damn. I guess I won't be leaving any time soon..._ He leaned back in the tree and groaned.

Just then, though, he thought he could hear someone singing. Straining his ears, he could just barely make out the words of the Old Tongue.

_Why would anyone in a beorc temple be singing something so ancient?_ As the tune went on, he almost felt as though he could recognize it. Visions of Leanne singing him to sleep began to enter his mind, but the voice of the singer sounded much older than Leanne.

Then his eyes widened. _A heron? They have a heron in there?!_ Forgetting all about caution, he flew over to the temple and crept into one of the side windows. He could only see priests around, slowly walking through the long, torch-lit hallway. One of them walked out of a door right next to him; Naesala held his breath and froze as the priest walked away. _Good, it doesn't look as though he noticed me..._ He slipped into the room and saw that it was full of old robes and hats. A large, mischievous grin stretched across his face.

_I'm pretty sure that in beorc countries it's a crime to impersonate a priest. Good thing I'm not a beorc._ The robes were a little big on him, but they gave him plenty of wing room. He glanced in a nearby mirror and had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing too loudly.

_I wish I could show this to Nealuchi. He'd probably faint._

In his new priestly disguise, he wandered out of the room and down the hallway. _Everyone is wearing the same robes and stupid hat. No one will notice me..._ The other priests nodded in greeting at him as he passed. He would nod back, only glancing at them quickly so that they could not get a good look at his eyes. He continued to follow the singing voice until it stopped. At that point he had reached the main hall, which was large and grand; however, he cared not for the artistry of the beorc. He was certain that the singer was somewhere below, in some sort of basement.

He continued walking until he spotted a Daein soldier emerging from a staircase in the back of the hall. Cautiously, he made his way to the staircase and stepped down. He was beginning to notice that more Daein soldiers were congregating in the basement. He was also starting to fear that the priests were not supposed to be down there, for the soldiers were all eyeing him suspiciously.

_Wait, why would priests not be allowed in a part of their own temple? Does the Daein army have control over this temple or something?_ he wondered.

"Excuse me, Father."

Naesala froze. A higher-ranked soldier walked up to him.

"Is there a reason why you are down here?" he asked gruffly.

_Act casual._ Naesala sighed and faked his best priestly voice. "I am deeply sorry. You see, my sister sent me a letter, and I am afraid that I may have misplaced it. I was wondering if, by some slim chance, it may have ended up down here."

The soldier stared at him. "Well, with all of the mess lately, I suppose it could have ended up down here. You may search around here. But you know that you must stay away from the left corridor."

"Of course, sir. Thank you." Naesala smiled at him and nodded in appreciation. _So the left corridor must be where they're keeping her._

He left the soldiers and went into the right corridor first, hiding around the corner and hoping that the soldiers would leave. Occasionally, a soldier would walk by him, so he pretended to be searching for the imaginary letter among the cracks in the wall. The time crawled by at an agonizingly slow rate.

_Come on, don't they take lunch breaks or something?_ he thought as he peered out from around the corner and saw that the soldiers were all still waiting there. _I mean, don't they get bored just standing there? This is a temple! They must have something important to do here in a place that doesn't allow any fighting... Why else would they be here?_

Suddenly, he heard a shout and turned to the soldiers.

"You mean the king is leaving _now_?" one of them asked in disbelief. "But the subject hasn't made any progress yet!"

"It seems that tensions in Nevassa are rising again," the captain explained. "The king needs to return for the night and settle a few things. He also wishes to find someone who is more skilled in the art of... coercing. The subject is being too stubborn for us to handle." Then he snapped his heels together. "Attention, all of you! We must go upstairs immediately to send his majesty off!"

_The king... Ashnard, isn't it? Another sudden ascension to the throne._ Naesala watched as the soldiers quickly left the hallway and ran upstairs. _I wonder if Ashnard's mysterious ascension was all that different from mine... Though I'm sure he had much different reasons for murdering his father._

He waited until all of the soldiers had left and then skipped across to the left corridor. There was no one there, and the halls were darker due to the lack of torchlight; not a single window adorned the walls. Naesala had to step carefully, since his eyes had very limited vision in the dark. He listened as hard as he could for any more heron sounds, but the hall was completely silent.

_What would the Daein army want with a heron, anyway? And why would they keep her cooped up in a dull basement like this? I wonder if she is the "subject" that they were talking about... I don't want to imagine what they're doing to her._

The sound of a heavy door creaking open interrupted his thoughts. He flattened himself against the wall as the light from an opening room faintly appeared at the end of the hallway. A blue-haired beorc woman left the room carrying an empty tray. She gently shut the door behind her and walked off down a different hallway.

_Bingo._ Naesala lightly sped over to where the door was and pressed his ear against it. He was certain that he could hear a low, shallow breathing on the other side. _Most likely that of a sick heron._ He opened the door slowly, hoping that the creaking sound would not attract any soldiers. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room, he spotted a pair of white wings out of the corner of his eye.

"Someone is here?" asked a weak voice in the Old Tongue. "Is it... Elena?"

_No... it can't be..._ Naesala was sure that he recognized that voice. He shut the door behind him and turned to the sick heron lying down in the bed at the corner of the room. She was trying to lift herself up so that she could see her visitor, but she did not seem to have the strength. Her blonde hair was wet from sweat, and her skin was even paler than that of a healthy heron. Even with these minor changes, though, she still had the same soft look in her eyes from several years ago. Once Naesala had come closer to the bed, he knew for sure that his hunch was right. He stumbled back and gasped in shock.

_It is... It's her... Lillia._

* * *

_Yes, this chapter is a little short. This one and the next one were supposed to be one chapter, but it was getting waaaay too long so I split them. And I got mixed up last time; the happy chapter won't be until after Chapter 13. Sorry about that._


	13. Chapter 13: Lillia

_I suppose that with everything I had to worry about in Kilvas, I must have forgotten all about Lillia. Maybe part of me had just assumed that she was dead. Either way, when I finally did see her again, I was faced with the chance to do something heroic and brave. I saw that chance, and I just let it waltz right on by. It would be the first time I had to choose between the well-being of Kilvas and that of someone important to me. It wouldn't be the last._

Chapter 13 -- Lillia

"L-Lillia?" Naesala gasped.

The heron princess' pale, green eyes stared up at him. "You... are not a priest, are you?" she asked softly. "You seem very... familiar..."

He threw off his priest's disguise. "Lillia, it's me! It's Naesala!"

Her eyes widened. "Naesala? My, you have grown! What are you doing here?"

"I was feeling curious and followed some Daein soldiers. Then I heard you singing. I'd recognize that song anywhere," he explained.

She laughed weakly. "Of course you did, little one. Always getting yourself into trouble..."

Naesala sighed. "So this is where they took you. But why? They never asked your parents for any kind of ransom."

Lillia's smile disappeared. "That is not what they want... It is something... much worse. But please, tell me, Naesala. How is my family?"

"I... I think it's better if you don't know," Naesala replied, looking down at his feet.

"Naesala..." She gently touched his hand. "Please, tell me. If something bad happened, then I must know!"

"No, I can't..."

She sighed. "I was worried that something may have happened. I can no longer feel their presence, but I wasn't sure if that is due to my current weakness or not. Were they... were they killed?"

Naesala hesitated a moment before speaking. "Most of them, yes. There was a terrible massacre about two years ago. A bunch of stupid, angry humans… Your father and Reyson are the only survivors that anyone knows of."

Lillia closed her eyes. "I... see... Thank the goddess that at least two of them are alive..."

"Lillia, I'm sorry," Naesala whispered. "I was supposed to talk to you on the night you were kidnapped, and I never went. I feel like if I had gone then I could have protected you."

"No, Naesala. The man who kidnapped me is very powerful." She opened her eyes again and smiled at him sadly. "Even you would have fallen to his power, I fear. There is no point in regretting things that you cannot change."

"I guess you're right..."

Lillia grabbed his hand. "Naesala... you were so troubled back then, but it seems you are even more troubled now. Your soul is full of chaos."

"Still trying to read my mind, eh? Well, I've become the king of Kilvas. Of course I'm troubled." He began debating whether or not he should tell her about the blood pact.

"That is not all. You are carrying a grave burden," she noted, narrowing her eyes. "It has to do with what you wanted to tell me earlier." Then she gasped. "You closed yourself off again!"

"Lillia, I can't tell anyone. My country's survival is at stake!"

She shook her head. "Naesala, holding in your burdens is not good for you. They will only build up until you cannot handle them anymore. You will get to the point where you slowly lose yourself, your will to live. You can tell me. I won't tell anyone."

He wanted to. His heart was begging him to release some of the tension inside of him, but he knew that it was unsafe. "As soon as I became king, I put my people first. I'm willing to carry this burden alone if it means keeping Kilvas safe."

Lillia's eyes widened. Then she smiled. "I am surprised to hear something so mature from you. I will warn you, though; someday, this burden may not be so easy to carry."

He decided to change the subject. "Lillia, why are they keeping you here?"

She flashed a quick smile at him, as though she knew the kind of tactics he was trying to pull. However, she went along with it, sighing before she began. "There is an ancient heron clan artifact... They want me to activate it. But I cannot. I am not the right person to sing the galdr."

"Did you tell them that?"

"I have tried... No one here can speak the ancient language, though, and I cannot speak theirs. The large man is full of chaos. He wants to embroil the world in chaos." She let go of his hand and sat back against her pillow. "I think... I am running out of time."

"What do you mean?" Naesala swallowed a lump in his throat. "You're not saying that you're..."

"I am very weak. My health has been bad since I was kidnapped. And here, away from any contact with earth and sky..." A tear was creeping down her cheek.

Naesala reached over and wiped it away. Part of him was trying to figure out a way to rescue her, but he knew it would never work. _Even if I was able to get her out of this temple, I'd still be putting Kilvas in danger. The forces of Daein would be after us, and our forces are still too small... And then there's the whole issue of the blood pact... I'm still certain that Begnion is involved in this somehow. Besides, why do I suddenly care about her so much? I was never particularly close to her before…_

Lillia shook her head. "Naesala, don't try to rescue me. I don't want you to get hurt. Besides, it is already too late..."

"I'm sorry. I can't do anything for you."

"There is something you can do." She lifted his head gently. "Please, take care of my brother. I know how stubborn he is."

Naesala laughed slightly. "Yeah, that hasn't changed about him at all. But, what should I tell him?"

"About me? Do not tell him."

Naesala raised his eyebrows. "What?!"

She shook her head. "He is hardier than most herons, but he is probably very upset right now. Please, just pretend you never saw me. He'll go looking for me, and I know the large man will look for more herons after I'm gone. I can sense from his thoughts that he believes that only herons can release the dark god."

"And you're the one who says I have too many burdens to deal with."

"Reyson will find out when he is ready. I am sure of that." Lillia closed her eyes. "Oh, Reyson, I am so sorry..."

_Oh, that's why I felt the sudden urge to rescue her,_ he thought. _She's one of the last reminders of that happier time. That damn blood pact!_

Suddenly, the door opened. Naesala turned to see the beorc woman from before. This time, her tray was occupied by a bowl of stew. Naesala wasted no time; he grabbed the woman and covered her mouth, closing the door and locking it tight.

"Don't make a single sound. If you call for a guard, then it will be the last sound you ever make," he threatened her in a low voice.

She nodded, staring up at him with frightened, blue eyes.

"Naesala! It is all right. She is my friend," Lillia whispered.

"Friend? A human?" Naesala grunted and let go of the woman. She carried the tray over to the table near Lillia's bed and set it down.

"She has been caring for me," Lillia explained. "She is unlike other beorc... She is full of kindness."

The woman seemed unable to understand Lillia's language, though. She glanced at Naesala and curtseyed.

"My name is Elena," she told him. "I am a priestess here at Palmeni Temple. They assigned me to this corridor, so I have been sneaking extra food to Miss Heron. I won't hurt her; I promise. Are you a friend of hers?"

"I am," Naesala replied. "Her name is Lillia. I guess you can't understand her language."

Elena blushed. "No, unfortunately. Otherwise, I would be better able to help her. She is so sick..."

"Yeah, because herons are frail, and your people have probably been roughing her up too much." Naesala still could not quite trust her.

"I... I am sorry." Elena began feeding the stew to Lillia. "I never realized that my countrymen could be capable of something like this... Here, Lillia, eat up! Oh, I hope you like this."

Naesala stepped closer. "What's in the stew?"

"River trout and carrots... It's all I could manage to steal from the food storage," she replied.

"Well, I guess that's okay for her."

Lillia slurped up the stew and smiled weakly. "It is delicious. Thank you, Elena."

Naesala's heart suddenly grew heavy. _This human... Lilia's right. She's different. She's helping Lilia, even though Lillia is dying... _He took a deep breath. "Lillia says that the food is delicious, and she thanks you."

Elena's eyes lit up. "Really? Oh, I'm so relieved..."

Naesala continued to watch them silently, his entire body aching in helplessness.

Lillia looked over at him and shook her head. "Naesala, don't regret your decision. You see? I have a friend here. I know that I will not... die alone."

"Lillia... Why does it have to be this way?"

"I do not know. But I do know that there is hope. For everyone who has suffered..." She finished her stew and tried to blink back tears.

"Oh, Lillia! What is it?" Elena clasped her hand. "Please, sir, tell me why she is crying!"

Naesala walked up to them. "I think... she just misses her family."

"I was just thinking about little Leanne, and how you used to watch over her and Reyson," Lillia sniffed. "I wish I could have seen them all again... I wish things could have been different. But knowing that Reyson is safe does bring a glimmer of light in this dark world."

Elena continued to stroke her hand. Then she looked up at Naesala. "I don't suppose... you are able to set her free, are you?"

"No. And I feel like a cold, heartless bastard by not doing so." He sighed. "Her younger brother is a close friend of mine. She just wants me to watch over him."

Elena nodded. "I wish I could take her away from here, but I would never succeed. I know how you feel. But maybe... if you watch over her brother, that will make her happy. That is what I am trying to do now. Make her happy."

Once Lillia had settled down, she began to grow sleepy.

"Please tell Elena that I thank her," she whispered.

"Lillia says thank you," Naesala repeated to the beorc.

Elena nodded. "You're welcome, Lillia." Then she sighed. "I think you need to get out of here. The sun has almost set, and soon a guard will come down to check on us. I can lead you out the back way so you won't get caught."

"I... I see." Naesala closed his eyes. He wanted to stay longer, since this would likely be the last time he ever saw Lillia again. However, he knew that Elena was right. He went closer to Lillia and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

"Naesala... I am glad I was able to see you again. I know I can trust in you to keep my dear brother safe," she told him softly.

"Lillia, I'm so sorry... I realize that I'm one of the biggest cowards in all of Tellius for not trying to rescue you."

"Remember what I said?" She smiled softly. "Don't regret this. Just promise you will look out for Reyson."

"I promise." He found that he could smile back at her. The sweetness in her tone was so comforting, like her younger sister's singing had been so long ago.

She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "Thank you. Thank you for always looking after Reyson and Leanne all those years ago. As much as you did corrupt them..." She chuckled. "And I wish you every blessing as you rule Kilvas. I believe you will be a good ruler. You care for people."

Naesala snorted. "Okay, now you're just being nice to make me feel better."

"You act arrogant, but I know better," Lillia replied with a smile. "You told me yourself that you care deeply for your people. I know this is true." Then she leaned back against her pillow. "Good bye, Naesala."

"Good bye... Lillia." Naesala reluctantly stepped back. He quickly memorized her face -- weak, yet glowing with contentment. The lingering light in her eyes showed that she was not afraid of death. "I won't ever forget you." Then he turned and followed Elena out of the room.

The blue-haired beorc led him through a narrow hallway until they reached a cellar door.

"Wait here," she whispered before exiting through the door. Naesala thought he could hear voices outside. Within seconds she returned with a soldier who appeared to be a much higher rank than the other soldiers he had seen. His short, brown hair had some flakes of snow in it.

_What is this? Is she turning me in?_ However, the man's face appeared to be much gentler than those of the other soldiers, though his eyes were hardened from many a battle.

"This is Gawain, a… friend of mine," Elena explained with a slight blush. "He believes that Lillia's imprisonment is wrong, too. He's agreed to hold off the other guards until you get far enough away from the temple."

"The guard is weak at this end of the temple. If you fly low enough through the trees then you should be fine," Gawain told him. "Just in case, though, I will go distract the guards for a few minutes."

Naesala looked the general over. _He seems honest enough. I can't figure out why he'd want to help _me_, though. Whatever. It's a free ticket out of here. _He shrugged and mumbled, "Thanks."

Elena smiled. "I wish you a safe journey home."

He nodded. "Elena, right? I just want to say... I really hate beorc for several reasons, but... Well, thank you for everything you've done for Lillia. I know it means a lot to her."

"You are welcome, mister... oh, I never learned your name."

"It's not important. I'll probably never see you again. Just keep taking care of Lillia, all right?" With that, he slipped out of the door behind Gawain. The snowfall was light, so he figured that it was safe enough to fly. Gawain signaled for him to wait.

"I'll give a shout when it's safe enough for you to leave," he whispered. Then he turned and began walking off toward the other soldiers.

_He must want to help Lillia, too,_ Naesala thought. _But if he thinks that her imprisonment is wrong, then why isn't he trying to rescue her? Of course, he could be in a similar position to mine. He must have something important to protect that's keeping him from being the hero he wants to be._ He glanced back at the cellar door. _The beorc girl, perhaps._

Just then, he heard a loud, gruff shout calling the soldiers to attention.

_Must be the signal._ Transforming into his raven form to give himself even better protection, he flew off to return home, a mixture of sadness and hope swirling around in his heart.

* * *

_Hah, I knew I could find a way to slip Gawain/Greil in there somewhere! I have often wondered whether or not there was any kind of romance between Naesala and Lillia, but it was too late to slip something in now. And I think I like it better this way. Probably not what you were hoping for to happen, but remember that this is Naesala we're talking about, here! ...Anyways, the next chapter is when things start to lighten up a bit._


	14. Chapter 14: Oliver

_The twenty years that passed after the Serenes Massacre were not all full of doom and gloom. Really, some parts were quite fun. One of the most interesting parts was when I first came into acquaintance with Duke Tanas. While he would eventually end up contributing to one of the biggest mistakes I ever made in my life, my first few run-ins with him were actually entertaining. He is probably the stupidest beorc I have ever met._

Chapter 14 -- Oliver

Naesala woke up one morning, a few weeks after his secret meeting with Lillia, and wandered off to grab some breakfast, which he normally obtained for himself. Nonchalantly looking through the food storage, he decided on a nice, dried mouse. Then he went off into his private library, mouse in hand. What he saw in there shocked him.

An incredibly fat beorc man was sitting in his desk chair. The man was dressed in fine silk robes, and he was covered in gold jewelry. Naesala nearly spat out his breakfast in astonishment.

_I had no idea they made humans this fat. What the hell does he eat?_

"I figured you'd show up soon! Lekain told me to warp here." The man remained sitting and grabbed his staff.

_This fat bloat's a _senator_?! Damn, they _must_ be desperate._ Naesala swallowed his mouse, hoping that it would stay down. "Ah, can I help you?"

"Why, yes indeed! My name is Oliver, Duke Tanas. I am one of the esteemed senators of Begnion. You are Naesala, correct?"

"Yes, I am. What exactly are you doing here?" Naesala replied.

Oliver forced himself out of the seat; Naesala noticed that the wooden seat of his chair was now permanently bent under from trying to support the large senator's weight. The man smiled at him and continued.

"I hear you ravens are famous, or infamous, I should say, for raiding the ships that pass near your island. These raids often find objects of beauty, do they not?"

"I suppose so. You mean like jewelry or artwork or--"

"Any of it. You see, King Kilvas, I appreciate all kinds of beauty. I am a seeker of beauty. I long to be surrounded by objects of beauty!" The determined look in his eyes told Naesala that this man was not joking.

"Let me guess," Naesala muttered. "You want me to give you a certain percentage of our loot?"

"No no no, not quite," the senator replied. "I don't want just _any_ objects of beauty. I want the most beautiful objects of beauty!"

Naesala stared at him. _What the hell?_

"I will make a deal with you," Oliver continued. "I will give you requests to find certain objects of beauty that belong to my rivals, and then you deliver them to me. All for a hefty fee, of course."

At this, Naesala's ears perked up. "You mean you'll pay me to steal pretty stuff?"

"Basically, yes."

Naesala was a little hesitant at first, only because the fat man standing before him was a senator. However, as he scanned Oliver over, he was beginning to get the feeling that this man was not all that bright. _He seems too obsessed with sparkly things to try to trap me into something dangerous,_ he thought. "All right, Duke Tanas, I will accept your offer."

"Excellent!" Oliver clapped his chubby hands. "My first request is the Maiden of Starlight."

"And that is...?"

Oliver pulled a piece of parchment from a pouch on his waist. Then he unfolded it and thrust it onto the desk. "This! It is a beautiful statue, is it not?"

Naesala looked at the drawing of the statue. It depicted a young woman draped in an ancient garment, staring up into the sky. Her skin was decorated with carvings of stars. "Ah, it is... beautiful," he mumbled. _That is the ugliest thing I've ever seen! Who the hell decided to put stars on her skin? It looks like she's diseased or something!_

"I thought you would agree." Oliver smiled. "Now, this belongs to Lord Correy, a lesser noble in Seliora. His palace is quite large and full of beautiful artifacts, but this is my favorite. I would like it."

Naesala took the piece of parchment and glanced over it once more. "How much?"

"How does 500,500 sound?"

"Done."

Oliver smiled. "If all goes well, then this will be your pay for every object you acquire for me. I wish you the best of luck!" With that, he held up his staff and disappeared in a flash of light.

Naesala continued to stare at the empty space that had been occupied by the senator.

_What is with this guy? Is this all supposed to be some sort of test? Well, no matter. Stealing from humans is always something I enjoy, even if it means stealing for other humans. I suppose it's time to arrange a raiding party to head to Seliora._

He took care of some business in the library before heading off to tell Nealuchi about his obese visitor. The old crow was much more concerned about the whole issue than Naesala was.

"But, Nestling, he's a senator!" Nealuchi protested. "It can't be this easy."

"I'm getting the feeling that this man is not acting on orders from Lekain," Naesala replied. "I mean, once you see him, you'll agree with me. He's a fat, greatly disturbed idiot."

Nealuchi sighed. "Well, I only hope that your instincts about Duke Tanas are correct…"

That afternoon a raiding party of about six ravens was organized. The flight to Seliora would be quick, so Naesala was hoping that they would be able to return by nightfall.

_I wonder if this castle is heavily guarded at night. I mean, this all seems too easy._

None of the raiders asked any questions; Naesala had told them that they would get paid profusely if their employer kept up his end of the deal. Even Seeker seemed more willing than usual.

"Any chance to steal from beorc is a chance worth taking," he whispered to Naesala before they flew off.

The skies were a bit cloudy, so they had to fly quickly in case of a rainstorm. The wind had also begun to pick up; Naesala could feel his wings working harder to stay on course.

However, the rough flight soon became much more worth the trip when they reached Seliora and found the Maiden of Starlight sitting out in the open in Lord Correy's garden.

_Those ugly stars on the stupid statue could be spotted from a mile away,_ Naesala thought as he circled overhead, searching for any soldiers who could pose a problem. He noticed a few guards patrolling the walls nearby, but none of them were close enough to the garden to cause much of an issue.

"Okay, Seeker," he whispered as he flew over to the captain, "you take two raiders to watch for guards while I go with the other two to lift up that statue. I'm assuming that it will be heavy since it's made of stone."

Seeker nodded. "It doesn't look as though the guards expect anything."

Naesala and his two raiders flew down to the garden, remaining in their raven forms for extra cover. Then he grabbed onto one end of the statue and lifted it gently. He kept his ears tuned in to the guards nearby, straining as hard as he could for any shouts of alarm. However, what he could hear only amused him.

"Hey, Georg, do you see those big birds out in the garden?"

"What big birds? I don't see anything."

"Right there, you nitwit! They're on the statue!"

"Oh, _those_ birds. They don't look that big. Lord Correy won't like seeing so much bird poop on his prized statue, though."

"You think we should chase them off?"

"Nah. This might make his lordship realize that he shouldn't leave his possessions outside if he doesn't want them to get pooped on."

Naesala sighed as he and the other raiders slowly lifted the statue off of the ground. _They don't even notice what we're doing, even though they're looking _right _at us… Oliver probably could have waltzed in here and stolen the statue for himself with no problem._

By the time they had lifted the statue about two feet into the air, the guards still had not taken notice of what was going on. It was not until they had risen over the tree tops that an alarm was finally sounded.

"Stop those birds!" a shout ordered from the castle walls. "They must be crow subhumans!"

Seeker and his crew were already in action. They circled around to distract the guards while Naesala and his group flew over the top of the castle, carrying the statue away as quickly as possible.

_Damn, this thing is heavy!_ Naesala thought as he struggled to keep up his end of the statue. He noticed that his helpers were also straining their wings to keep the statue aloft.

"Why do humans make such pointlessly heavy statues in the first place?" one of them muttered. "Especially when they're so ugly…"

"Because they are _humans_," Naesala replied. "They love to do pointless things."

After about fifteen minutes of struggling with the heavy statue, Seeker and his two raiders joined them and helped them carry it the rest of the way to Kilvas.

"The guards are so confused that I'm sure they forgot who even stole the statue in the first place," Seeker explained. "It seems that many of the guards are new recruits, so we decided to drop rocks on them to confuse them. Before long they were all fighting with each other."

"Well, we certainly lucked out with that one," Naesala muttered. "Though I must say, it was quite fun!"

Once the statue was safely stored within Kilvas' walls, Naesala decided to take a break for the rest of the day to rest his wings.

_So incredibly heavy… That fat human better keep up his end of the deal._

He wandered into the food storage again to look for a snack, though he decided it was best to avoid the mice for now. Instead, he took some dried fish, though he eyed the mice disgustedly.

_Damn, I'm never going to be able to eat a mouse again without thinking of that obese freak… I've never seen anything so fat in my entire life!_

Three days later, said fat human warped his way into Naesala's private study. Naesala was already there entering the latest loot totals into the records. At first he was a bit shocked to hear Oliver behind him clearing his throat, but when he realized that it was only the obese senator he instantly regained his composure.

"Ah, Duke Tanas. The statue was successfully acquired," Naesala informed him casually.

Oliver's eyes lit up. "Oh, how excellent! I did not expect such speedy service!"

Naesala smirked. "Only the best here in Kilvas. Now, about that payment…"

"Why, yes, of course!' Oliver shoved a fat hand into his belt and pulled out a large sack of gold. "500,500 gold, as promised."

Naesala took the bag and shook it slightly. _It feels heavy enough to be 500,500 gold. I suppose he's not cheating me out of anything. He just wants the stupid statue, I guess._ He placed the bag on his desk. "Well, shall I show you to your coveted prize?"

He led Oliver into the treasure store, where the Maiden of Starlight was waiting. Upon seeing the statue, the fat senator let out a loud gasp and ran over to it.

"Oh, this is just superb! This is the most beautiful creation I have ever seen!" he exclaimed.

_This man is seriously a deranged idiot,_ Naesala thought, watching the whole scene with a mixture of disgust and amusement. "I see you are satisfied," he muttered. "Is there anything else that we can do for you at this time?"

Oliver turned to him with a boyish smile on his face. "At the moment this should suffice my desires for beauty. However, I'm sure it will not be long before another object of beauty comes to my attention. I do have such excellent taste."

Naesala was unsure how to respond, for he knew that any compliment he could give would be a flat-out lie. Instead, he nodded and gestured toward the statue. "I am curious though, Duke Tanas. How exactly do you plan on getting your, er, object of beauty back to your grand estate?"

"Ah, that is not an issue. Observe the might of warp magic!" Oliver held up his staff, and soon the Maiden of Starlight was enveloped in a bright flash before disappearing completely. The large senator began hopping around in a delighted dance.

"How beautiful, indeed! The flash of light from the warp magic only served to amplify the sheer beauty of the statue! Oh, I am overjoyed! What pure magnificence!"

Naesala only stared back speechlessly.

_Either he's just acting to make me lower my guard, or he's really this deranged… If it's the latter then I'm certain that he will be a lot of fun to mess with._

Oliver stopped his happy little dance and grinned. "Well, King Kilvas, I am quite pleased with your services. I suppose I shall be on my way now to admire my newest addition to my collection!"

"Yes, indeed," Naesala replied. "Though, I was wondering… Perhaps next time you might be able to pay a bit more?"

"More?"

"Yes, more. You see, Duke Tanas, my raiders were quite worn-out from acquiring your object of beauty. They are feeling a bit let-down these days, but you know what always motivates them? Money."

"Oh, but they shall receive plenty of rest until I decide which piece of artwork I wish for you to steal for me next," Oliver replied.

"It is not that simple." Naesala sighed, faking a look of concern. "You see, they were so exhausted from this raid that I am not sure I will be able to convince them to help me with the next one. I may need a bit more gold to influence them."

The fat man thought for a moment. "Well, I am not sure…"

"I am certain that you could spare just a bit more, Duke Tanas. After all, you wanted the best service from us, right? I can only guarantee such excellent service if my men are well-paid."

At this, Oliver nodded. "Yes, that does make sense. I do so enjoy excellent service. Well, King Kilvas, how much exactly were you thinking that I should raise your fee?"

Naesala smiled innocently. "750,000."

"750,000 gold?!"

"For the best service, yes. Otherwise, it may be a bit more difficult to acquire your objects of beauty. You may have to wait longer to see those objects which delight you so."

Oliver was about to protest but then changed his mind. "…All right. I will pay you 750,000 from now on. Is that a deal?"

"That is indeed a deal. Thank you so for your kindness," Naesala replied, looking as genuinely thankful as possible.

"Well, now I really must be on my way. Until next time, King Kilvas." With that, Oliver raised his staff and warped away.

Once the fat senator was gone, Naesala began laughing loudly.

"Oh, what an idiot! He's definitely just really stupid! I can't believe he fell for that crap!"

He left the treasure store and returned to the food storage, picking up two mice and gulping them down.

_This is going to be _much_ fun indeed!_

* * *

_Yes, I do enjoy making fun of Oliver, in case you couldn't tell from this and from _Clipped Wings_. Lord Correy does not exist, and I wish I could find a map of Begnion because I don't know where any of the territories are except for Tanas. But yes, I hope you enjoyed this lighter chapter. Also, I don't know how the laguz eat mice, but ravens eat mice so I decided that Naesala would eat mice. Let's just assume that the fur has already been removed..._


	15. Chapter 15: The Radicals

_I suppose it's something every ruler has had to deal with before. Weird radical groups. Well, I had one to worry about, once. I probably should have dealt with them better, but instead I let them do as they pleased. I knew they would be no harm to the running of Kilvas. I just didn't think about the harm they would eventually bring to themselves._

Chapter 15 – The Radicals

Thirteen years passed slowly and uneventfully. Naesala rarely ever heard from any of the senators, except the occasional requests from Oliver to hunt down "objects of beauty." In fact, Naesala did not encounter many obstacles during his reign until he received some letters one sunny afternoon. Nealuchi handed it to him somewhat hesitantly, recognizing the handwriting on the front.

Naesala soon also recognized it and groaned while reading the letter:

_"King Naesala, we are upset by the fact that there is limited beorc access to this island. We are tired of seeing Crimean merchant ships pass without us having the ability to trade with them. We believe that we can rebuild Kilvas' economy by opening trade with the beorc. We are also aware that Crimea has declared tolerance to all laguz. We request that you allow us to try negotiating with the Crimeans to set up a trade alliance."_

The signatures of about twenty ravens followed.

Nealuchi chuckled; Naesala figured that the old crow must have seen his confused face.

"A bunch of young radicals, I suppose," he remarked to the raven king. "They probably think that since you're young, you feel the same way about beorc as they do."

Naesala sighed. "I've been king for _how _long now? I'm not that stupid. Crimean tolerance... How naive can this group be? I don't care if the king of Crimea would decide to marry a hawk! Nothing is going to make those humans show kindness to the laguz. It's all a failed political stunt."

"I suppose you're right," Nealuchi replied, shaking his head. "I do admire the Crimean king for trying, though."

Naesala slouched back in his chair and skimmed over the names on the petition. "Hm, Vika's on here. You'd think that she would know better, since she raids human ships all the time."

"Well, Nestling? Do you think it could work?"

"Of course not. Begnion already warned me not to get involved with other nations without their consent, not to mention how Begnion hates Crimea in the first place."

Nealuchi frowned. "I didn't think about that..."

Naesala snorted. "Besides, even if Begnion wasn't breathing down my neck, I'd never willingly negotiate with a beorc country. What could we possibly trade with them that they don't already have? As much as I like Kilvas, it's kind of just a useless rock." He tossed the letter onto the floor. "Any other requests, Nealuchi?"

"None. Not even from... well, you know who." The old crow sighed. "Which is fine with me."

"They probably have their hands full indoctrinating the new Apostle, now that she's old enough to comprehend things." Naesala laughed. "A country run by a four-year-old... Humans are so stupid."

"Well, Nestling, you were pretty young when you became king..."

"Nealuchi, I wasn't a _child_. Besides, I had no choice."

Nealuchi smiled. "Neither did the young Apostle. I feel quite sorry for her, really. She'll always be under the control of the Senate."

"Don't feel sorry for her. She's a human. If she's under the control of the Senate then she'll turn into a lying, laguz-hating prick like the rest of them." Naesala stood up and walked over to the window, crossing his arms and leaning out of the windowsill. Talking about Begnion always made him bitter, though he was also trying to cover up his embarrassment.

_What the old crow is really saying is that he feels sorry for _me_ because I'm so young. He doesn't have to care about me so much. I'm doing fine._

Outside, the weather was clear and cool. Some seagulls were hovering nearby, searching for food in the rocky cliffs. Below, sunlight was dancing on the ocean waves. Naesala decided to change the subject.

"The weather's good for sailing. I think this is a good day for raiding some merchant ships!" He stretched his wings and yawned. "The wool traders should be on their way back from Begnion. Perfect targets."

He met a few of his soldiers on the northern ledge of the castle. Seeker would scout for ships, while Naesala would lead the raid. The raven king rarely ever had the time to take part in a raid; he was either busy with observing new recruits or stuck in Kilvas to work on domestic affairs. Quickly scanning over the assembled group, he realized that a few of them seemed particularly unhappy. These were the ones who had signed the petition.

Naesala sighed. "Yes, I read the petition. Yes, I know that our targets today will be Crimean ships."

"So you won't try to make peace with them?" A young raven named Tiko stepped forward. "Your majesty, can't you at least consider it?"

"I did. But what you have to realize, Tiko, is that all beorc are the same. Making peace with their king won't make their people like us."

Tiko frowned. "But you don't know that for sure! Please! We have to at least try!"

Naesala crossed his arms. "Absolutely not. Their kin massacred our heron kin, remember?"

"But--" Tiko looked as though he wanted to say more, but then he glanced around in embarrassment and stepped back in line.

Seeker shook his head. "Come on, no time for radical activity here! We have some raiding to do!"

"Exactly." Naesala turned to the captain. "Seeker, take your scout group and start looking for some nice unsuspecting targets."

"Yes, sir!" Seeker grinned and took his squadron, which included Tiko.

Naesala hid the smirk that was threatening to betray his never-ending enjoyment of having this kind of authority. Instead, his eyes wandered over to Vika, the youngest raider of the group. She was shifting her weight from one leg to the other, as though she was uncomfortable. Naesala noticed that she was trying to sneak glances at him and then looking down at her feet whenever she realized that he could see her.

_She certainly seems shy today,_ Naesala thought, shifting his eyes to focus on something more interesting. _I wonder why she decided to become a raider in the first place._ This time his eyes settled on the horizon, where a lone crow was now flying in their direction. _So soon?_ He grinned. _Must be our lucky day!_

The scout reached the landing and pointed at the direction from which he had come. "Five of them!" he gasped excitedly. "Five merchant ships full of gold to bring back to Crimea!"

The raven king nodded. "Excellent. Now, I'm sure they won't let us get away with their treasure so easily. Be careful of mages. Now, boys... and Vika... let's have some fun!"

The raiders all cheered and took to the air. Naesala soared at the front next to the scout, enjoying the cool rush of air that was greeting his wings. Soon the five ships appeared in the ocean below.

_Ahh, they look completely harmless. Not a single guarding archer to be seen!_ Naesala gave the order to transform, and then a swarm of ravens descended upon the ships.

Naesala went for the lead ship, laughing inwardly at the shocked faces of the sailors as he flew toward them. He spotted a small chest near the cabins and grabbed it in his talons. However, a clanking sound behind him told him that a sailor was fighting back. He turned to see a swordsman lunging toward him, but he dodged the attack with ease. Then he flapped his wings hard to blow the swordsman out of his way. A few sailors nearby saw this and gasped.

"That's Vortex! It's the king of Kilvas! We're doomed!"

Naesala couldn't help but laugh at this. "So I've made a name for myself, have I?" Once again he took to the air with the treasure in talon. _Honestly, they've given a name to that little move I use to blow them away? They must think it's some sort of magic or something…_

As soon as he was sure that the ships were completely gutted, he gave the order to move back home. There was never any point in trying to kill off all of the sailors; too many risks were involved, and all he really cared about anyway was the treasure.

After they had landed at Kilvas again, they gathered all of the booty in a pile to determine its value. This raid's booty amounted to about 200,000 gold.

Naesala grinned as he looked out among all of his raiders. "Excellent job today, boys!...and Vika..." He turned to Seeker. "Were there any casualties?"

"None!" the captain replied happily. "An absolute success, sir!"

Naesala nodded. "Well, in that case, we're having a feast tonight!"

The raiders cheered, though he noticed that the petitioners were not as enthused. However, he was in too good of a mood to worry about it.

_This is probably the most successful raid we've had in years,_ Naesala thought. _Let those beorc-lovers cry as much as they want. They'll be happy once they receive their pay for this._

That night, the halls of the castle were bursting with excitement. Naesala had ordered for wine and rum to be brought out, along with the finest fish and berries Kilvas had to offer. He was walking down the corridor from the festival hall to add the day's looting totals to the records room when he ran into Vika. The raven girl was wearing a bright red dress that flattered her figure perfectly. Naesala was so used to seeing her in flying clothes that he almost did not recognize her at first.

"Ah, Vika! On you way to the feast, I see," he remarked. "Better watch out for those drunken birds in _that_ kind of dress."

Vika blushed and laughed somewhat. "I will, sir." Then she glanced around and lowered her voice. "Sir, I need to tell you something. I shouldn't tell you, but..."

Naesala smirked. "Come on, Vika. You can't keep secrets from me." He was expecting her to declare her love for him. It wouldn't be the first time a raven girl had done so.

However, Vika said something completely different. "Sir, I know you don't like the idea of trading with the Crimeans, but some of the raiders today didn't like the fact that we stole from them. If we steal from them anymore, some of the raiders are threatening to leave Kilvas and do their own negotiations."

Naesala knew that, as a leader, this should have angered him, yet he could not help but laugh.

Vika's face dropped in surprise. "Ah, sir?"

"It's just so ridiculous. Do they really think that those humans will listen to them?"

"Well... yes."

Naesala leaned toward her, grinning at how her blush darkened at this. "Let me guess... Tiko put you up to this. Is he trying to intimidate me by threatening to leave?"

"Well, um..." Vika scratched the back of her head. "Actually, no. I thought I should warn you ahead of time. Tiko wouldn't want me to tell you, sir."

"I see..." Naesala straightened up and thought for a moment. _So the radical group is going to leave Kilvas and flutter out into beorc territory by themselves? Are they stupid? The Crimeans won't listen to some unknown soldiers. Maybe to me or Nealuchi, but that's it. They've probably never seen the true cruelty of the beorc..._ He looked down at Vika and sighed.

"Um, sir?"

"Vika, nothing's going to change my mind. I think it's stupid of them to leave Kilvas, though. They have no idea what they're getting themselves into. Most beorc still feel superior to us."

Vika's face betrayed her disappointment. "I don't want to leave Kilvas... but I want to try making a difference."

"There are plenty of things you can do to make a difference," Naesala replied. "But making a difference and being just plan stupid are not the same thing."

Vika began shifting her weight uncomfortably. "Well, um... I'm going to leave. I'm sorry, sir, really... I..." She was talking very fast now. Naesala patted her on the head.

"Vika, don't hyperventilate. If you want to leave, then leave. I won't try to stop you or be angry with you. I'm just telling you now that it will be a wasted effort."

Vika took a deep breath. "So you won't... be mad at me?"

"No."

She seemed to inwardly sigh in relief, for her shoulder relaxed under his hand. "That's good... Ah, I mean, th-thank you, sir!" Then she was silent for a while, her face contorting in spurts as though there was something else she wanted to say. Her mouth would open and then abruptly shut, while her eyes darted back and forth between his face and the floor.

"Well, Vika, I do have to go take care of something. Thank you for telling me about your little radical group's plans. Do enjoy yourself at the party!" Naesala smiled at her with his dashing grin and then turned toward the records room, leaving Vika completely helpless and unable to say what she had really wanted to say.

* * *

_ I do apologize for the abrupt time jump, but honestly, I'm starting to get tired of writing filler chapters. So I'm very rapidly moving onward so that I can get to the events of PoR as soon as possible! Anyway, no one knows anything about Vika so I've taken the liberty of giving her a little crush on Naesala. Poor Vika... The whole bit about Vortex not actually being magic is probably not true, but I like my version so I'm sticking to it. Any questions or comments? Fall Break is coming up soon so I'll have lots of time to write! :D_


	16. Chapter 16: The Split

_I probably should have stopped the radicals from leaving. I guess part of me wanted to, but the rest of me knew that it would be a wasted effort. They had such a passion for what they wanted, such grand dreams that the future they wanted could be attained. That passion eventually drove some of them to a terrible fate, as I learned a few years later..._

Chapter 16 – The Split

A week after the feast, Naesala awoke to the sound of his frantic caretaker shouting from the hallway.

"Nestling! Nestling, get up! This is urgent! The radical group... Oh, this is terrible!"

Naesala knew that he should have been more concerned, but at the moment he was too tired to care. He rolled out of bed and slipped into his clothes, staring at his bored reflection in the mirror. He noticed that even in his partially-awake state, he still looked quite handsome.

_Then again, I think the bored look is in nowadays. Makes the girls try harder to impress us or something. I'm surprised that Nealuchi hasn't cracked down on me to find a wife. Not like I have the time. Maybe in a couple years, once things with the economy have settled down--_

"Nestling! Can you hear me? This is urgent!"

"Nealuchi, I just woke up. Give me some time. And stop calling me 'Nestling!'" He sighed as he loosely tied his dark blue hair in a ponytail. Then he left his room to meet with the anxious Nealuchi. The old crow was pacing back and forth, but he jumped when he spotted the sleepy raven king leaving his room.

"All right, Nealuchi, what is the radical group up to now?" Naesala muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"A scout group returned early this morning and reported to Captain Seeker that there are three Crimean merchant ships on their way to Begnion!" he replied. "Tiko and the radicals then told Seeker that if he asks for your permission to raid them, they'll leave Kilvas!"

Naesala yawned. "Oh. Well, I already knew that was going to happen. Vika tipped me off last week."

Nealuchi's jaw dropped. "Vika told you?! But, Nestling, what are you going to do? What if they actually leave?"

"Then they might actually find out that I was right after all," Naesala answered casually. "Look, Nealuchi, it's nothing to worry about. If they want to leave then that's their problem. I'm not negotiating any trade with Crimea."

Nealuchi shook his head. "Oh, Nestling! What if they get hurt by the Crimeans?"

"There are twenty of them, possibly more. We can't waste time sending out search parties for them when we're still building up our army. If they're going to be stupid, then I'll let them be stupid."

Nealuchi sighed. "So you are giving Seeker permission to raid the ships?"

"Raid away." Naesala smirked. "Maybe we'll hit another jackpot this time." He stretched his wings out. "I'd like to join this raid, but I have enough to deal with here." _Begnion's been quiet for too long,_ he thought.

"I see," Nealuchi replied. "Well, I will relay the message to Seeker."

Naesala went to his library to work on finances. Glancing through the records, he realized that Kilvas was almost back to what it had been financially when he was a young fledgling.

_But that's not good enough,_ he thought with a smirk. _We can get even stronger. The population is slowly rebuilding. Soon we might want to invest in, oh, I don't know, some more land… Imagine, Kilvas becoming larger than Phoenicis!_ He pictured the look on Tibarn's face when he would see that Kilvas had acquired enough land to swallow the hawk island up completely.

The raven king sat back and sighed. _But of course, that will likely take several years, at this rate. The income from raiding is just enough to sustain us, plus the money I'm making from helping that fat-ass senator._ He looked down at his papers and spotted a letter from Reyson that he had received that morning and had yet to read.

_Well, I wonder what our heron friend is up to these days. He hardly ever writes anymore. Guess he's too busy with those damn hawks…_

Over the last few years, Naesala had noticed how close Tibarn and Reyson had become as friends. This caused a slight jealousy inside the raven, since he had always considered himself to be Reyson's best friend.

_I guess it was bound to happen. But still… he doesn't have to ignore me all the time._ He opened the letter and read it over:

"_Dear Naesala,_

_Warm greetings from Phoenicis! I know I have not visited in a while, but I have been quite busy here. The annual hunting feast in Phoenicis is next week, and I am helping Tibarn with organizing the event. It is always fun, though I am not quite partial to the food. Red meat is not something that is appetizing to any heron, though the hawks seem to fully enjoy it._

_Father is the same as usual. His constant sleep is so peaceful, yet one can almost sense the sadness in his drawn face. I pray every day that he would recover, but I do not think that will happen for many more years._

_How is Sir Nealuchi? I have not seen him since he visited last year. I am always delighted to see him when he visits for ambassador duties. He is so polite and cordial. Kilvas is lucky to have such a fine ambassador!_

_Tibarn has been busy lately training the young hawks for raids. I must say that I have grown somewhat used to this pirating culture, though I am sure that Kilvas' methods are different, since your country is willing to raid any ships that cross your borders._

_I must admit that I am secretly glad every time Tibarn tells me about how he raids Begnion ships. I know such behavior is not befitting of a heron, but even after all these years, I cannot forgive them for what they have done to my tribe…"_

Naesala groaned and paused from reading the letter. "Reyson, Reyson… To think that a heron would hold a grudge. I mean, it would make sense if he were a hawk or raven, but a heron? Ah, my friend, you become less like a heron every day." Then he glanced back at the letter. "I bet I can predict what this next little section is about…"

"_Naesala, Tibarn told me that you've been making deals with humans. I hope that this is not true, but Tibarn would not lie about something like that—"_

"Yes he would," Naesala muttered bitterly.

"—_so I want you to tell me straight out. Are you associating with humans? I cannot believe that you would do such a thing, after everything that has happened. I know that Kilvas is not doing well financially, but this is just too much. Why don't you just ask Phoenicis for help if you are so desperate? Tibarn would be more than happy to help—"_

"No he wouldn't."

"—_and I would also see what I can do to help. I just do not understand, Naesala. What is more important, kinship or money?"_

Naesala held back the bubble of irritation that was growing inside of him. "Kilvas, that's what's important! Do you think I _like_ dealing with humans? As entertainingly stupid as they are, I'd much rather that Kilvas be independent for once." He jumped in surprise at his own outburst.

"Oh, Reyson, if only you could understand," he muttered. He continued reading:

"_Perhaps I will be visiting Kilvas soon, once the Hunting Festival is over. We can talk it over further then. Hope you are doing well._

_~Reyson"_

He sighed as he placed the letter back down on the desk.

_What has it been now, eighteen years since the Serenes Massacre? So much has changed. But there's no more time to waste now on sentimentalities. Time to get back to work. _

However, no further work would be accomplished, for Nealuchi burst into the room at that exact moment.

"Nestling! Nestling, it's bad!" the old crow gasped. "You have to get outside right away!"

Naesala blinked. "What are you talking about, Nealuchi? Isn't there supposed to be a raid going on now?"

Nealuchi shook his head. "Tiko and the others! They're going to leave! It's not a joke, Nestling!"

"Nealuchi, they've _been _planning to leave… I told you this, remember?"

Nealuchi's eyes widened in a look of pleading. "Nestling… You have to talk sense into them. It's not safe for them to go out into beorc territory by themselves…"

Naesala groaned. "Fine. I'll go see what I can do."

They walked outside just in time to see Tiko and about twenty other ravens facing Seeker and the raiders. Vika was standing next to Tiko, and when she caught Naesala's eye she flinched and backed in among the group of radicals.

Tiko, however, grew even more animated. "King Naesala! You have to negotiate with Crimea! The time for change is now!"

Naesala sighed. "Tiko, how long have you been raiding human ships, now?"

The young raven thought for a moment. "About five years, sir."

_He's still being polite, even though he's trying to start a revolt? Oh Tiko… you're way too young._ Naesala nodded. "Five years. In those five years, haven't you learned how entirely untrustworthy beorc are?"

"But this is different!" Tiko protested. "The king of Crimea declared laguz tolerance! They will want to work with us! They will be _willing_ to make deals with us, and they won't treat us like inferiors!"

"Tiko, that's just the king. I'm sure that the people of Crimea do not feel that way at all. Laguz slavery still exists everywhere, whether it's outlawed or not." Naesala narrowed his eyes. "You won't even get to the king. As soon as you land in Crimea, you'll be scorned like a common criminal. That's how humans are."

"They can't _all _be like that! There are good ones out there!"

"The good ones don't have any influence," Naesala replied flatly. "Tiko, just calm down, and you and your friends stay here where it's safe. You're going on a suicide mission. You've never been to Crimea before. You've never talked with humans before."

"No!" Tiko crossed his arms. "We're leaving! We'll show you just how possible it is!" The group behind him shouted in agreement.

_Damn, they're so thick-headed… If they knew about the blood pact then they would feel differently._ Naesala shrugged. "All right, then leave. I won't try to stop you if you do. Just know that if, and likely when, you get into trouble, you won't be able to rely on us. We can't afford to send out search parties for you."

Tiko was unfazed. "You won't need to send out search parties for us! We'll come back with ambassadors from Crimea and then you'll see, sir! Why do you hate beorc so much, anyway?"

This struck a slight nerve in Naesala, though he took care to remain calm. "Why _shouldn't_ any member of the bird tribes hate humans? Let's start with the enslavement of our ancestors. After that, we'll continue on down through history, including hundreds of years of discrimination, and then we arrive at eighteen years ago, known as the Serenes Massacre. Nearly an entire nation destroyed because of prejudice. And you think that after all of this, one silly little declaration of tolerance from a weaker human nation is going to magically change everything?"

The appearance of anxiety crept onto Tiko's face. The words "Serenes Massacre" always struck a chord of fear in the members of the raven tribe, even the younger ones. The radicals looked around at each other with uncertainty.

However, then the unexpected happened: Vika stepped forward, a look of determination in her eyes.

"S-sir, I know that the beorc have done horrific things in the past. But, I just want… I want to give them a chance to apologize. I want to be able to forgive them. I think that, someday, the beorc and laguz can live together peacefully, without any prejudice." Her legs shook as she spoke, but even her quavering voice was insistent.

Naesala was somewhat surprised by her forwardness, but inwardly it made him smile. "It sounds good, Vika. The thing is, that's the ideal vision of the future. Are the beorc and laguz really ready for that step?"

Vika nodded. "I think so. At least, soon they will be. That's why I at least want to try to negotiate with Crimea. We at least have to _try_…"

The radicals were moved by her speech and cheered for her. The raven girl blushed in embarrassment and sank back into the crowd.

_Vika… You're in for a big shock. You have no idea what they're like…_ Naesala shook his head. "You're determined enough. I'm not changing my mind. You go off and do your crazy thing, and if I end up being proved wrong then more power to you. However, I still think it's crazy…"

Tiko stepped back into his leadership role. "We can do it, sir! We will sooth tensions between the beorc and the laguz! All right, everyone, let's go!"

With that, the radicals took off in flight, flying over the ocean into the northeast.

Nealuchi turned to Naesala and whispered, "Nestling, are you sure we should be letting them go?"

"Nealuchi, I'm not a tyrant. Remember what I said? If they want to be stupid, then I'll let them. Maybe they will actually manage something, though I doubt it." He watched them until they disappeared over the horizon; then he turned and went inside.

For many of the radicals, it would be the last time that they ever saw their beloved homeland.

* * *

_I'm so happy because... THIS IS THE LAST FILLER CHAPTER! At last. Anyway, I know that this chapter isn't as exciting as others, but it explains some later events in PoR. I'm having a lot of fun building up this little rivalry between Tibarn and Naesala. Next chapter -- the events of PoR begin!_


	17. Chapter 17: The Crimean Ship

_I had no idea that the lone Crimean ship that I ordered a raid for would bring a whole new string of events, twenty long years after the Serenes Massacre. Events that would once again change everything._

Chapter 17 – The Crimean Ship

Naesala was greatly pleased when the scout came to him that morning with the news that a ship from Crimea was headed toward Kilvan waters. What he did not like was that fact that said Crimean ship was still floating in Phoenician territory, and it had been a while since any ships had come by.

In other words, he was getting quite impatient and more willing to take some risks.

_That ship is taking way too damn long to get here. And it's been over a month since we've had a raid. If it's still in Phoenicis… Wait a minute._

The thought struck him suddenly as he was sitting as his desk, absentmindedly tapping his pen against the wooden surface of the desk.

_It's a _Crimean_ ship in _Phoenician_ waters, meaning that they're not going to raid it anyway… If the hawks won't take the opportunity, then I think it's perfectly okay if the ravens jump on the chance a little early. It's not like Tibarn would be losing any funds, so why should he care if a few ravens sneak into his waters and attack a ship that he couldn't care less about? _

The thought made Naesala smile mischievously, and within hours the order was given to go find the ship and raid it before the hawks could take notice of it.

"Nestling, are you sure this is a good idea?" Nealuchi asked the raven king. "It goes against the agreement you and Tibarn made!"

"Yeah, the agreement that was made _twenty years ago_. I don't think it really matters anyway." Naesala shrugged. "It's not like Tibarn would want to raid a Crimean ship. She's ours for the taking."

Nealuchi sighed. "I don't know, Nestling. I'm a bit worried… Tibarn's scouts are quite sharp. He has his Eyes and Ears."

"I wouldn't worry, Nealuchi. Besides, it's been about a month since our last raid. Tibarn can deal with it for just this once." With that, Naesala turned and went back to his private library, and to the interesting letter that awaited him.

The parchment was sealed with a black seal, the seal of Daein. Naesala knew very well that the people of Daein were trained from birth to hold a deep hatred of all laguz, so why they suddenly were asking for his aid had him a bit perplexed.

_Then again, I'm sure that news of how well we fulfill requests has become too tantalizing for Ashnard to resist. This will only be worth it if he's willing to pay much more than my standard rates for humans._

He opened up the letter and read it over, shocked at what he saw:

"_King Kilvas,_

_His Majesty, King Ashnard of Daein, wishes to employ the aid of your country in our conquest for Crimea. The princess of Crimea, long-thought to be nonexistent, is now under the protection of a band of mercenaries who call themselves the Greil Mercenaries. They escaped from Crimea on a ship bound to Begnion about a month ago and should soon be sailing past your country._

_The princess Elincia has long, green hair and golden eyes. She is about sixteen years old, perhaps older, and will likely be unable to fight._

_We will pay you whatever rate you desire, as long as it is reasonable."_

At this, Naesala burst out laughing. "Whatever rate I want? Really, Ashnard? Are you that _stupid_? Oh, this will be fun. I'm definitely accepting this one. Why should I care about the fate of this supposed Crimean princess, anyway?"

Taking his pen in hand, he wrote his reply:

"_Steward of Daein_,

_I have considered your offer and will accept. You may send your troops down here when you wish._

_As for payment, my standard rate is 500,000 gold, which I think is quite reasonable considering that you are asking us to kidnap royalty._

_Have a nice day."_

Naesala sealed the letter and gave it to one of his messengers to deliver to Daein "immediately."

Then another thought struck him.

_Wait a minute… there's that Crimean ship in Phoenicis… a lone Crimean ship headed toward Begnion…_

He turned around and sped back to the landing, where Seeker and his men were just getting ready to depart.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Seeker asked when the raven king suddenly appeared before him.

"Seeker, my friend, I have excellent news." Naesala smirked. "This Crimean ship has more treasure on it than we could have bargained for. I have just received a commission from Daein… If we fulfill this one, we will make _quite_ a bit of gold."

Seeker's ears perked up. "Do tell."

"Apparently Crimea has a princess. Who would have thought it? Anyway, you know how Daein just recently occupied Crimea… well, they'd like it very much if we kidnapped the princess for her. The last they saw her was at a Crimean port, leaving on a ship that was headed for Begnion."

"The ship that's currently in Phoenicis." Seeker grinned. "I will let the men know about it. What kind of princess are we looking for, exactly?"

"A green-haired, golden-eyed girl. I would suspect that she's a human teenager. At least, that's what the letter explained to me," Naesala replied. "If she's traveling with mercenaries then capturing her will be no easy task. I'd plan a strategy of some sort. Get the boat caught on a sandbar or something so that they can't escape. And while you're at it, you might as well grab any money you find."

"Of course." Seeker gave a casual salute. "Farewell, sir. We will return with the Crimean wench as soon as possible."

"Fly safely!" Naesala grinned and then returned to his library, very much pleased with this new contract.

Three days later, another letter arrived from Daein:

"_King Kilvas,_

_We will agree to give you the payment for which you ask._

_Captain Norris and his troops will be sailing toward Kilvas within the next few weeks with your payment, as well as further instructions."_

Naesala scanned the letter over again and chuckled. "Now, let's read this how the steward would probably have read it. 'King Kilvas, I guess… fine, we'll give you the payment. Are you sure this is reasonable? Ah, but you say it is reasonable, and of course everything you tell us _must_ be the absolute truth. We're so desperate for help that we'll pay you _anything you want_! Yes, exactly that! Oh, woe to us… The Kilvans will outsmart us…' Yes, that is exactly how he would read it. Just you wait, Tibarn… We'll eat up your little island in no time! And then what will Begnion be able to say to that?"

He sighed and glanced over at another request from Oliver that still needed to be taken care of.

"The fat lard is slowly becoming less entertaining… but he _is_ somehow continuing to grow even fatter…"

This latest request involved stealing a number of pieces of artwork from the ships of Duke Gaddos that would soon be shipped to a curator in Crimea for cleaning. However, the ship had been delayed twice because of bad weather, further adding to Naesala's impatience.

"Oh, I can't wait until Seeker gets back with the little Crimean girl. At least this new contract with Daein will keep things interesting. I wonder why Ashnard so suddenly decided to go invade Crimea, anyway. Perhaps he was bored. If Kilvas was a large country with a powerful military and I was bored, I would do the same thing."

Memories of Palmeni Temple flashed through his mind. Lillia had mentioned something about a medallion…

_Lillia, I'm sorry that I'm helping the people who hurt you, but it's all for a good reason. You told me that Ashnard is full of chaos, that he wants to release the dark god. That a beorc ruler could possibly fiddle with heron spells is something I find unlikely, but he must have a plan… I suppose I will just have to use this alliance to my advantage. Pull out if it looks bad, stay along for the ride and reap the rewards if it looks good. _

He began tapping his pen on the desk out of annoyance. _I haven't heard any news from Seeker yet. I'll have to wait until he gets back before we start planning this little attack on Gaddos' ships. _His eyes were wandering over his desk when the calendar caught his eye. It had been exactly twenty years ago when Reyson and his father flew into Kilvas with the news that Serenes had been destroyed.

_No wonder I'm so damn restless right now. I wonder if Reyson is doing okay. Tibarn is probably coddling him right now. Reyson, remember who you came to _first_ when that happened? Do you remember who it was who helped you get through the loss of most of your family?_ He frowned at the calendar. _Thanks for reminding me, damn calendar… _

Later that afternoon Naesala found out why Seeker had not contacted him in so long.

The raiders came back; that is, the small remnant of raiders who had survived. Naesala was shocked to see such a small number of raiders return. One of them somberly walked up to him to report what happened.

"S-sir, it… It was bad. Those mercenaries are not typical sell-swords. Many of them must have had military training. We trapped them off the coast of Goldoa. They had nowhere to go, so they rallied up and fought us with all their strength. There were mages and archers… Their leader is so strong for one so young…"

"So you didn't get the princess." Naesala looked over the raiders. "What about Seeker?"

"Captain Seeker… fell."

The words indeed seemed to fall into the pit of Naesala's heart. However, he knew that he needed to remain steady in front of the men – Seeker was well-loved by all of the Kilvan raiders. He took a deep breath.

"Everyone, I know you fought your hardest. We obviously weren't prepared for this, but next time we will be. These humans are not typical. We're going to get stronger and show them that they should not underestimate the strength of Kilvas!"

The raiders cheered, which made Naesala feel somewhat lightened inside. He told the raiders to go rest, for they needed it.

Nealuchi turned to him with a look of apprehension. "Nestling, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Nealuchi. I just have to figure out where to go from here," he replied bluntly.

The old crow shook his head. "Nestling, I know you well enough by now. You still have time to back out of this deal with Daein. It's not like our situation with Begnion… You need to take your own sanity into account."

"Nealuchi, we _need_ this deal! We need the money, the strength…" He groaned. "Don't you want to get out of this damn blood pact?"

"Yes, but…" Nealuchi sighed. "Oh, Nestling… Please, do take care of yourself."

"Nealuchi, I don't care about myself right now. Kilvas is what's most important to me at the moment." He returned to his library to think everything over.

_Seeker… He was our best captain. Now what are we going to do? I was counting on him to help us through this contract with Daein. This is bad… No, I have to remain calm. There are plenty of good fighters here. I'll find someone to replace him. But… those damned humans will pay. I can't wait to be finished with dealing with them… _

* * *

_Here's a nice Thanksgiving present for everyone! You're welcome! I'm not sure what kind of pens they use in Tellius, but obviously they must use something. It's so nice to be in the storyline of PoR. I'm looking forward to teasing more members of the Daein Army in the next future chapters... especially Petrine. Ah yes... It will be much fun._


	18. Chapter 18: One Step Ahead

_Good old Norris. Obviously he had no idea what to expect while working with Kilvans. Tricking him was so easy that it was almost boring for me to do. The sea incident began a long streak of entertaining mind play with Daein captains that would continue throughout the Mad King's War._

Chapter 18 – One Step Ahead

A few weeks later, Naesala flew out with Nealuchi and a small group of raiders to the middle of the sea between Kilvas and Begnion to meet up with Captain Norris of the Daein Army. They were going to combine forces to go after the Crimean ship bearing Princess Elincia. Kilvas would still be paid 500,000 gold.

"Nestling, I'm still not so sure about this alliance with Daein," Nealuchi whispered to the raven king as they flew over the ocean. "After all, Daein culture is highly prejudiced against laguz. King Ashnard probably won't want to keep us around after he's finished with us."

Naesala rolled his eyes. "Nealuchi, seriously. I considered all of this before agreeing to the deal. Everything's going to be fine as long as we stay one step ahead of Daein."

"And? Are we?"

Naesala grinned mischievously. "Of _course_ we are. Norris is expecting that we'll be fighting right along side of Daein in this little skirmish. He's not familiar with the old raven custom of letting someone else do all of the dirty work if possible."

Nealuchi cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Nestling?"

"You will see. This will likely be a very entertaining little skirmish, if I do say so myself." He gestured ahead of them, where a large ship bearing flags with a large, ornate, golden seal lay quietly. "You see that ship? It belongs to Begnion. It's lying right in the middle of where the Crimean ship and the Daein fleet will eventually clash."

They rendezvoused with Norris and his fleet about two leagues away from where they had spotted the Begnion ship. Naesala sent some of his scouts out to investigate the situation, giving them secret orders to look at the Begnion ship as well as the Crimean target.

Norris eyed Naesala over carefully. "So, King Kilvas, you've agreed to help us intercept the princess?"

"Yes. And we'll show you exactly where she is. Not far from here, if my estimations are correct." He pulled out a map and pointed out their current location. "If the Crimean ship is still on its original course, then it should be about here." He moved his finger to another location on the map, close to their location.

"You are sure of this?" Norris asked.

"I have sent out some scouts to make sure, but I would say that my estimation is correct. After all, I know this area _quite_ well." Then he sighed. "But, I must say, my men are quite tired. Perhaps you could give us the money in advance? They need a bit of motivation at the moment."

Norris stared at him in shock. "What? Give you the 50,000 gold now? What good would that do us? You and your birds would just fly away!"

Naesala smirked. "My dear wingless friend, do you want the best service from Kilvas, or only sub-par?"

Norris groaned. "Fine. I'll give you half now."

"Three-quarters. Remember, the _best_ service from Kilvas."

The flustered captain dug into his belt and pulled out a pouch of money. "This contains 30,000 gold. I'll give this to you now, and then after we have finished our mission, I will give you the remaining 20,000. Is that a deal?"

"I suppose. It may take a bit of convincing to get my men to work at their normal level."

Norris handed him the money pouch and walked over to the small window of the ship's cabin. "At least the weather is decent. Your crows shouldn't have trouble fighting in this, should they?"

_Another loophole. Excellent._ Naesala gasped in mock surprise. "Fighting? My dear captain, you said nothing about fighting. I only figured that we would be helping with scouting duties!"

The human's face darkened slightly. "What the hell else would you be doing besides fighting? Of course your men will help us fight!"

Naesala shook his head. "Oh, I don't know about that. The men are only prepared for scouting. I will have to go tell them the news. I'm sure they won't be happy. Perhaps if I were to increase the rates to one and a half times more, they would be happy."

"Increase the rates?! Are you daft?!"

"I'm only trying to help you, Captain." Naesala smiled. "You see, us ravens are particularly motivated by money. I can plead with them all I want, but they won't put their best effort forth unless they know they are getting paid a large amount. Surely King Ashnard must have known this when he asked for our aid?"

"Damn it!" Norris rushed over to a small chest in the corner of the room and pulled out two more bags of money. "Here! That's another 30,000! Will that satisfy you greedy birds?"

Naesala took the bags and thought for a second. "I suppose so. I will have to let them know to make sure. If you will excuse me for a moment." He turned and left the cabin to check on his scouts, who had just returned.

"Sir, we checked out the Begnion ship," one of them whispered. "We think that the Apostle herself may be on board."

Naesala grinned. "Ooh, even better. There's bound to be treasure. Not to mention that the Daein fleet will have a fun time dealing with the Apostle. I suppose her royal guard of pegasus knights is around, as well?"

"Yes. We had to fly carefully to avoid getting spotted by them," another scout replied. "We succeeded, of course."

"Of course." Naesala held up the bags of money. "A nice little treat for us. Be prepared for me to give orders to retreat from the ship. It's going to be an exciting day!"

As the Daein ship drew closer to the Begnion ship (which Norris thought was the Crimean ship, and which Naesala figured he may as well pretend was the Crimean ship), the raven king was able to see a small group of pegasus knights flying toward them in formation. With a small chuckle, he wandered back down into the cabin to watch Norris' reactions to what was about to happen.

"I must say, ships are such _interesting_ pieces of equipment," Naesala mused as he was sitting across the table from Norris. "To think that the remains of a tree can transport hundreds of wingless humans over the ocean. I personally prefer flying."

Norris grabbed his head. "Does he ever stop talking?" he muttered. Naesala heard but pretended that he didn't.

"It seems that ships are a bit useless in one way. I mean, when I think about all the ships that the Kilvan raiders have successfully pillaged, it just seems odd that humans haven't come up with a new way to go across the ocean," he continued. He picked up an apple from the table and casually bit into it. From glancing at Norris' dark glare, he had a feeling that the human captain had been saving that apple for himself. "I wonder if magic would ever give humans the ability to fly. Now, if that were to happen, I would almost be impressed that for once, magic is being used for something _practical_. Wouldn't you agree, my wingless friend?"

"King Kilvas, I'm trying to plan out our strategy. Shouldn't you be doing the same?" he replied, his grunting voice betraying his annoyance.

"Oh, I suppose I could. However…" He took another bite out of the apple. "I am pretty confident that my ravens will be just fine in this upcoming battle. After all, how hard can it be to attack _one_ little Crimean ship when you have an army of raven pirates and a highly-trained Daein military?"

Just then, a large crash sounded from up on deck, followed by panicked shouting.

_Ah, good. I was beginning to get bored, anyway,_ Naesala thought, calmly eating his apple.

"What was that?" Norris stood up furiously and ran to the door, where a soldier was standing to meet him.

"Captain Norris, sir, it's bad!" the soldier reported. "A small army of pegasus knights has surrounded our ship!"

"P-pegasus knights?!" Norris glanced back at Naesala, who was completely relaxed. "Are they a mercenary group from the Crimean ship?"

"No, sir. They appear to be from the Royal Guard of Begnion. They must have spotted us approaching," the soldier replied. "Also, there is another ship nearby that bears no identification."

"Damn! All right. Ready the men. We'll have to fight back!" The soldier saluted and left, leaving Norris in a frenzied state.

"King Kilvas!" he shouted, angrily turning to the raven king. "You didn't tell us that there were pegasus knights in the area! How is this possible? There isn't a shred of Daein identification on our ship!"

Naesala shrugged. "Well, my walking friend, I don't suppose you realize… that ship is from Begnion."

Norris' face turned a deep shade of scarlet. "What? _Your_ flying lackeys were the ones who told us that that ship was Crimean!"

"Oh well. These things happen." Naesala miraculously was able to keep a straight face, though inside he was cracking up. _What an idiot. The pegasi surrounding the ship must not have given it away. If tricking Daein is this easy, then I think this may be a fun little war!_

Norris shook his head. "You planned this, I bet. You think you can fool us!"

Naesala faked shock. "Such _harmful_ words! Why would I _ever_ lie to an employer? Well, if it makes you feel any better, the ship that lies alongside the Begnion ship is actually the Crimean ship bearing the princess."

"So we'll have to break through Begnion's defenses first… Damn it."

Naesala smirked. "Well, would you like some assistance?"

Norris glared at him in silence for a while. Finally, he muttered, "And what would it cost this time?"

"You learn quickly, my friend. I would have to say, since I would be fighting personally… Double rates. No, make that triple." _150,000 gold. I'm sure this dumb human doesn't have that much, but maybe if I keep annoying him then his face will grow so red that it will explode. That would be entertaining._

Norris face indeed deepened another shade of red.

"Oh, of course I could defer payment until later," Naesala continued. "But, then, of course I would have to charge interest, so unless you're willing to deal with that—"

"Get out of here, worthless raven!" the captain shouted. "I wouldn't ask for your help if the whole world was burning down around me!"

Naesala sighed. "Well, I suppose that's settled, then. I think I'll take my men, and we'll watch the show. Do make it entertaining for us. The flight was a bit boring, as was the meeting." He turned and left the room, leaving Norris to stew in his anger.

Nealuchi was waiting for him with a face of apprehension. "Nestling? Are we—"

"Getting out of here? Yes. I think we've done enough work for Daein for the day." Naesala laughed. "This will be fun. Let's fly off and watch. I'm curious to see what will happen in this silly clash of humans." He finished off the apple and threw the core into the sea.

From the air Naesala could see that the Begnion ship was indeed blocking the path between the Daein ship and the Crimean ship. His sharp eyes also spotted a few treasure chests on all of the ships, glinting temptingly in the sunlight.

The Crimean mercenaries slowly advanced to the Daein ship via planks that connected them. Though most of them looked rough and amateur, Naesala noticed that they were quite well-trained. Daein soldiers were falling left and right, while the mercenaries remained unscathed. The Begnion pegasus knights had sided with the mercenaries and were easily destroying Norris' men.

"It's a bit ridiculous, really," Naesala muttered. "They're all humans, and yet they're fighting each other. What a waste of time." He yawned and turned to his caretaker, who was flying next to him. "Nealuchi, I'm bored."

Nealuchi eyed him with slight fear in his face. "Nestling, that look tells me that you're up to no good again."

At that moment, Naesala noticed something. Perhaps it was the way the sun was shining, or maybe the fact that they were not in their usual surroundings of Kilvas, but for some reason, Nealuchi looked a lot older than Naesala remembered. The wrinkles in the old crow's face had deepened with age, and his voice was somewhat scratchy.

_He looks so old. Maybe he shouldn't have come with us, after all. Besides, I'm quite old enough to take care of myself. I'm well into my adult years. It seems odd that I still have a caretaker at this point…_

"Nestling? Wh-what are you thinking of right now?" Nealuchi asked.

"I think it's time to help ourselves to the lovely treasure that's waiting in the ships below," Naesala replied with a grin. "After all, if these humans are too wrapped up in fighting each other off to care about their possessions, then I think the treasure is up for grabs. Wouldn't you agree?"

Nealuchi shook his head. "Oh, Nestling…"

"Nealuchi, stop calling me Nestling. I'm old enough now that I can't be considered a nestling in any sense of the word."

The old crow paused for a moment, somewhat surprised at Naesala's unexpected request. However, then he grinned. "Nestling, you will always be my nestling. I don't care how old you are. I still remember very well when you were still cawing with eggshell stuck to your tail feathers!"

Naesala rolled his eyes. "We're not even _born_ from eggs! That much I know from the mysterious birth process. Come on, let's get some treasure before the humans sink each other's ships!"

Nealuchi merely chuckled and flew off.

"Senile old crow…" Naesala sighed. _Wait, are we actually born from eggs? But when Leanne was born, there were no bits of eggshell around! Then again, I don't really know how we're born… It can't be from eggs! That's just ridiculous! Dammit, now I'm distracting myself._ He stretched his wings and watched with delight as his raiders dove down to the ships below and helped themselves to the human's treasure.

The mercenaries, shocked by the sudden arrival of the crows, split up, with one group remaining on the Daein ship and the other returning to their own ship to save their goods. Naesala finally saw firsthand why Seeker had fallen in their first encounter with the Crimean mercenaries. They fought off the crows as well as they could, and while they were not successful in protecting their goods, they did greatly wound some of the raiders.

_Well, at least now I know what we're dealing with,_ Naesala thought as his men retreated, treasure in talon, and returned to their post in the sky. _I have a feeling that we'll be encountering these mercenaries many more times while we're in this little agreement with Daein._

* * *

_I must say that I greatly enjoy writing chapters where Naesala outsmarts beorc characters. I think I remember in some conversation with either Janaff or Ulki during one of the games that it is revealed that bird laguz used to be born from eggs, but not anymore. Or something like that. I have a copy of the game script bookmarked on my computer, so if you recognize some of the dialogue, that's why. I kept in some of my favorite lines from this scene (or altered them slightly)._


	19. Chapter 19: Meeting of Kings

_Dealing with the other laguz kings was never fun, mostly because I was somewhat jealous of the fact that they didn't have to deal with a blood pact. They also all had much more land and wealth. Needless to say, the meeting in Goldoa was absolutely awful…_

Chapter 19 – Meeting of Kings

From the moment Naesala received the letter from Goldoa, he knew that the next few days would not be enjoyable. First of all, Goldoa _never_ sent letters to other laguz kings. Naesala had not even seen King Deghinsea before in his life. Second, the letter was requesting a meeting of all of the laguz kings to be held in Goldoan territory.

_In other words, I have to deal with Deghinsea, Caineghis, _and_ Tibarn at the same time. Oh well. At least Reyson will be there. Hopefully he hasn't become too hawkified._

Naesala put down the letter and sighed. He was sitting at his desk, fiddling with a ring that his men had stolen from the Begnion ship two weeks ago. The raid had been quite successful, but the mercenaries were much stronger than Naesala had expected. He knew that if they were going to continue facing them on Daein's orders, then he would need to make sure that his raiders were much stronger. He had put an experienced raider named Milo in Seeker's old position, telling the new captain to ensure that the raiders were still training hard.

_Casualties are a reality of war, but if Kilvas is going to prosper and become better than Phoenicis, we need to have all the men we can get,_ Naesala thought. _The money we're getting out of this little deal with Daein will hopefully be worth the risk._

After Norris' loss and demise at sea, Ashnard had decided to assign the Kilvan reinforcements with General Petrine. This meant that within a few weeks, Naesala would be spending a considerable amount of time in Daein territory. It was approaching winter in Daein, so Naesala was not entirely looking forward to that.

_Snow is such a pain for flying. I suppose I'll have to use the snow as an excuse for a higher payment. I'll wait until I've met this Petrine, though. I've heard that the general is a woman, so a bit of seduction may be in order. She's probably ugly as hell._

A few days later, Naesala found himself flying to Goldoa. He had told Nealuchi to stay in Kilvas in case any letters came from Daein with further orders, so he was flying alone. As the cragged mountains of Goldoa came into view, Naesala groaned and slowed his flying pace. He could spot the white wings of Reyson approaching from the opposite direction, glinting in the sunlight with each flap.

_Maybe Reyson being here will make this little meeting more tolerable… I just hate dealing with Tibarn… _

He landed and ran a hand through his hair as he looked around at the other laguz kings gathered. Caineghis still appeared to be powerful, despite his age. Tibarn and Reyson were whispering hastily to each other. Deghinsea, whom Naesala had not yet formally met, did not display any signs of being laguz, except for a few facial markings. His son, who appeared to be about thirteen, was also present. Like Caineghis, he had an air of might, and his stern look told Naesala that this meeting would not be pleasant.

"Everyone," Caineghis began, his voice a low, roaring sound, "thank you for coming here at such short notice. Also, I would like to thank King Deghinsea for arranging this meeting place."

"It was nothing, King Caineghis," Deghinsea replied in a gentle tone.

Caineghis continued by summarizing what Naesala already knew; Daein had invaded Crimea and was now pursuing her princess. He began to zone out slightly.

_Are we just here to talk about human affairs? Yes, Gallia decided to harbor that princess for a while, but that has nothing to do with me. I hate Goldoa's climate. The stupid mountains block the sea air. It smells like cat here._

Tibarn joined in the conversation, as well, but one thing in particular caught Naesala's interest.

"If word got out that the princess has made it to Begnion and is currently under that country's protection, Daein might halt its invasion of Gallia," Tibarn explained.

_So naïve,_ Naesala thought. He smirked. "Your information is dated, hawk king. Have your eyes and ears failed you after all?"

Tibarn's slight frown made Naesala feel even more satisfied inside. "What do you mean by that?"

_I might as well use my Daein connections to my advantage. They'll know that they can't underestimate me, then._ Naesala nodded. "Well, to start, it's true that the Crimean princess left Crimea and went to Gallia. However, it seems that the king of Gallia, on whom she had placed all her trust and hope, chose not to help her." He saw Caineghis flinch out of the corner of his eye and held back a small chuckle. "So the poor princess, without any place to turn, then fled to Begnion, spending two very long months at sea. Now she has just recently made it to Begnion capital. Daein already knows about this, and the king has sent out a team of hunters to go after her. And _that_, gentlemen, is the latest news, at least to the best of _my_ poor knowledge." He looked around at each laguz king in turn, delighted at the faces of shock that now greeted him.

"H-how is this possible? Daein already knows?" Caineghis gasped. "King Kilvas, how do you know about this?"

"Oh, it's simple, really," Naesala replied. "I just perk up my ears and… point them in the right direction."

"You just expect us to believe that you happened upon this information by chance?" Tibarn narrowed his eyes. "That is an odd tale."

"Really?" Naesala grinned. "Would you like to know the trick to it, hawk king?"

"If it involves dealing with human scum, count me out," Tibarn answered with a glare.

"So old-fashioned," Naesala muttered. "You'll never get anywhere if you keep to the old ways. You act like you have so much pride, but really, you don't have the power to attack any ships but those from Begnion!" _That's right, Tibarn. Make a come back to that one. I dare you._

"Both of you, stop this at once!" Deghinsea's loud voice interrupted the argument. "King Kilvas, your actions of late can be called too extreme."

_What the hell does he know? He sits here in his mountain enclosure while the world tumbles around him!_ Naesala huffed. "What could you possibly know about my actions, dragon king?"

"May I remind you that your crows recently attacked a ship and left it on Goldoan shores?"

The tower of confidence that had been building up inside Naesala faltered at this. "Oh. That…" _Damn, he would know about that. The ship that had the Crimean princess was stranded on Goldoan territory…_

Tibarn flared up. "King Kilvas! You've been sneaking around in my territory again, haven't you?"

Naesala regained his smirk. "Please, now. I haven't done it _that_ many times." _Five times. Six times. Besides, he's got that giant island. What's he complaining about?_

"My son Kurthnaga told me," Deghinsea continued. "Also, he told me that a beorc girl resembling the Crimean princess was aboard."

Kurthnaga, who was standing next to his father, nodded his head. "It's true."

_Oh damn._

"Is this true?" Caineghis asked sternly.

Naesala sighed. _They're really beginning to piss me off._ "Don't act surprised. Look, I'm not going to be stuck ruling a tiny island nation forever! Whether it's from laguz or beorc, I don't care! If the pay is right, there's nothing that I won't do to expand Kilvas!" He looked around at the laguz kings, hoping that they would show some signs of concern. However, Deghinsea merely shook his head.

"I care not about your ambitions. However, you should choose your methods carefully. What good does it do to expand your borders if you find enemies at every door?"

_Dammit, I suppose he has somewhat of a point there._ Naesala frowned. "I will take your words to heart for the time being." _Not like it's going to stop me, though. I need that gold from Daein. You other kings. You have no idea what it's like. You're not trapped under a pact that makes you a virtual slave to another nation._ He glared at Tibarn, who was now receiving a lecture from the dragon king about his piracy.

"It doesn't matter," Tibarn replied. "I won't stop until those humans pay for what they did to our Serenes kin!"

Deghinsea turned to Reyson. "Are you of the same mind?"

Reyson, who hadn't said anything during the entire meeting, suddenly spoke with a fiery anger in his voice. "Those humans murdered my family and friends! They destroyed my forest! No amount of blood can possibly slake my thirst for vengeance! I am grateful for everything King Tibarn has done, since I cannot fight. He acts in my stead."

_Wow._ Naesala's eyes widened at the heron prince's display. _He's gotten so much… less heron-y. Blood? Reyson, I'd never thought I'd hear you speak that way._

The meeting continued, with Caineghis explaining his plans for war if Daein indeed was able to invade the beast country. Naesala was very glad when it was finally all over.

_Deghinsea, you act all high and mighty, lecturing us about our ways. Someday, you'll find that you're just like the rest of us. Stop acting like you only care about the welfare of Tellius. People like him just annoy me so much. _

He stretched his wings and looked over at Reyson. Part of him wanted to talk to the heron prince, but the rest of him knew that it probably would do no good; either Reyson would scold him for dealing with humans again, or he would not want to talk at all. Reyson was once again talking furiously with Tibarn.

_Fine. Go play with your little hawk friend and thirst for more vengeance. Because that's going to solve everything._ Grunting, he took off without saying farewell to the other laguz kings.

Naesala returned to Kilvas in a foul mood. Nealuchi watched the raven king with concern.

"Nestling? Are you all right?" he asked. "I take it the meeting was not very good."

"Not at all. Rather boring, really. Tibarn found out about our little raid in his territory. Everyone's mad because I'm dealing with humans. The usual." Naesala stared out the window with a pouting face.

Nealuchi sighed. "Nestling, perhaps you should decrease your human contact. After all, if the other laguz kings are getting upset—"

"Nealuchi, I would _love_ to stop dealing with humans. Trust me. The problem is that I don't have much other choice at the moment." He began absentmindedly playing with a stray pebble that lay on the stone windowsill, rolling it around before picking it up and pretending to examine it. "They're not in a blood pact. They can do whatever they want. They don't understand at all what it's like…"

He felt Nealuchi's hand on his shoulder, but it surprised him enough that he shook it off. He glanced back at the old crow and noticed the sad smile on his face.

"Nestling, do you really have to keep it a secret?" he whispered. "I'm sure that if you explained it all to them, they would try to help you."

"Not an option," Naesala replied. "Them helping me would go against the blood pact. I've researched this thoroughly. If I ask for their help, Begnion would soon find out and react. Besides, I'm not so sure that they would be that helpful… They certainly haven't been doing the best job dealing with their own issues. Gallia is under the threat of invasion by Daein, Tibarn and Reyson still haven't gotten Begnion to apologize for the Serenes Massacre, and Goldoa doesn't care about anything that goes on outsides its borders. We're all on our own with this one." He tossed the pebble out of the window and watched it bounce down the cliffs.

"Nestling…" Nealuchi shook his head. "I know you're trying to convince me that you're all grown up, but to me you're still a nestling. You need to take care of yourself."

"I am taking care of myself." Naesala turned and walked toward the door, only to be met by a messenger.

"A letter for you from Phoenicis, sir," the messenger stated, holding out a sealed letter.

"Oh great…" Naesala took the letter and opened it reluctantly. "Tibarn probably wants to whine more about the whole raiding incident…" However, the letter was from Reyson:

"_Dear Naesala,_

_I know you are probably busy, but I would like to come to Kilvas. I have several questions for you concerning today's meeting that I would rather ask you personally. I am so confused about so many things. _

_~Reyson" _

Naesala chuckled and handed the letter to Nealuchi to read. _Naturally. I give you this invitation to come to Kilvas whenever you want, and now you finally take it up so that you can yell at me for dealing with humans. Well, I suppose it's better than nothing. At least he's not bringing that damn hawk king with him._

Nealuchi perked up at the news. "Prince Reyson is coming here? How exciting! Oh, I will be so happy to see him again! We must fix up the castle at once!" He eagerly hobbled out of the room to set up cleaning duties, leaving Naesala alone.

"Well, that will keep the old crow occupied for a while," he mumbled. "This little visit will either be a nice chance to reminisce or a nasty reminder of how things have changed."

* * *

_Merry Christmas, slightly late! Ah, the lovely little laguz king meeting... And we're slowly getting to the fun stuff. I'm so glad I finally have time to write again!_


	20. Chapter 20: A Deal Too Good to Resist

_I had always just wanted Reyson to understand, but I knew he never could. Twenty years after the Serenes Massacre, he had completely allied himself with Tibarn and believed anything that hawk said. When Oliver came along with his little proposal, it seemed like a really great way to fix many different problems…_

Chapter 20 – A Deal Too Good To Resist

Naesala was unsure whether or not Reyson's sudden visit would be good, mainly since the White Prince had not been to Kilvas in several years. Nealuchi was busy fluttering about, ensuring that Castle Kilvas would be just right for Reyson. The old crow was very excited, since he did not share Naesala's jealousy of Tibarn.

"Nestling, do you think that the prince will be staying for dinner?" he asked the raven king as he was sitting in his room.

"I doubt it," Naesala muttered. "This is probably just going to be a quick meeting, in which I will get yelled at for making deals with humans. Blah blah blah. And so forth."

Nealuchi frowned. "Perhaps you could ease tensions by reminiscing a little? You two used to be such close friends."

"Don't remind me, Nealuchi. It's annoying enough that he worships the clouds that hawk king flies on, anyway." Naesala walked over to the large window at the back of his room and stared at the sea.

Nealuchi chuckled. "Oh, Nestling. I'm sure that it will be fine."

"Whatever." He heard Nealuchi leave the room and stepped out onto his balcony.

Naesala could feel a slight excitement inside of him as he spotted Reyson's white, glinting wings on the horizon. All concerns of having to listen to anti-human lectures disappeared at the thought of being able to spend time with a friend whom he had not really spent time with in several years. He thought of older times, when they used to play in the forest.

_I wish we could magically become twenty years younger. Then we could go down to the ocean and play in the sand. And Leanne would be there, jumping in the sea water and getting dirty, while Lillia gets upset that Leanne ruined a perfectly fine dress. Rafiel would just sit in the background and chuckle. If only… things were different…_

"Nestling!" Nealuchi called from the hallway. "Prince Reyson is almost here! Let's go outside to greet him!"

Naesala sighed. "Coming, coming." He took one last glance at the lone heron approaching the castle and then left the room.

Reyson arrived with his usual grace, transforming back into his human form as he landed.

Naesala could not help but grin at his old friend. "Well, Reyson, did you have a nice flight?"

"It was smooth. The weather was surprisingly good for flying," Reyson replied. He did not return Naesala's smile, though the raven was not all that surprised.

"Prince Reyson!" Nealuchi rushed toward the heron prince. "It is such a pleasure to see you again! Are you doing well?"

"Sir Nealuchi! Yes, I am doing quite well." Now Reyson was smiling.

_I suppose it's only natural, though. Nealuchi has that affect on people. That's why he ended up as an ambassador in the first place._ Naesala shrugged. "Well, let's go inside, shall we?"

As they walked through the hallway, Nealuchi and Reyson began chatting about the state of things in Phoenicis. Naesala merely listened, not sure what to say.

"How is your father doing?" Nealuchi asked.

"The same as usual, unfortunately. He is still very sick, ever since that day… He rarely leaves his bed."

"That is understandable," Nealuchi replied. He shook his head. "It must be so terrible to lose one's friends and family all in one day… Well, Prince Reyson, if there is anything this old bird can do, please let me know! I would only be too happy to oblige!"

"Thank you, Sir Nealuchi," Reyson answered softly. "Your kind sentiment is always appreciated."

_Oh please,_ Naesala thought. _Reyson's got his hawk friends. He wouldn't ask anything of us. But nice try, Nealuchi. Maybe if you tell him stuff, he'll actually listen._ He opened the door to his office, where he entertained guests that did not involve the blood pact, and turned to Nealuchi.

"You can talk old history later, Nealuchi. We have plenty to discuss here," he muttered.

"Ah yes, of course! Much to do, much to talk about. It has been so long since you two had a nice chat!" Nealuchi chuckled. "I shall see you later, Prince Reyson!"

Naesala shut the door behind the old crow as he left. _He has no idea… This isn't going to be a friendly chat… _He faced Reyson and smirked. "So, Prince, what is the purpose of your little visit today? It's been a while since you've graced our shores."

Reyson's face darkened. "Naesala, you know why I'm here. Those things you said at the meeting in Goldoa… I don't understand. What do you want? And why did you provoke Tibarn like that?"

"Ah yes. I should have guessed…" Naesala sighed. "A waste of a visit if you ask me. Why come all the way to ask a few silly questions instead of spending some quality time with an old friend?"

"Don't mock me, crow king!" Reyson spat out. "Tibarn has done so much for my father and me! If it weren't for him, we might not have made it! Of course I'm concerned about how you're treating him!"

A small fire of anger was starting to build up inside Naesala, especially at the fact that Reyson was calling him the same name that Tibarn often did, but he kept his usual smirk. "Oh, I see. So you would ally with a bunch of hawks, rather than with me, your old friend and guardian. Remember when you and Leanne were little? Remember who always watched over you two? It was _me_, not that hawk king. And remember who initially took you and your father in when you had no place else to go? It was _me_!"

Reyson glared at him. "Naesala, you're the one who's changed. You're dealing with humans. My _enemies_! You know how much I hate them, and yet you continue to work with them. How can I possibly rebuild that old friendship we once shared if you're dealing with the very people I despise? Maybe things could go back to normal if you were to break your alliances with humans!"

Naesala chuckled bitterly. "Now _that_ is not an option. I have to maintain my ties with them. When you're ruling a country like this, sometimes you have to drop that silly old pride and do what's necessary to fulfill your ambitions. That's something Tibarn obviously doesn't get, and neither do you."

"It doesn't look like anything I will say can change your mind," Reyson muttered.

"Stop acting like a hawk and think for a moment, Reyson," Naesala replied. "You've become so obsessed with vengeance that you can't even think clearly. Gold is necessary. Where that gold comes from, I don't care, as long as I get it."

"Ever since you became king you've been so obsessed with gold."

"Ever since you left Kilvas you've become obsessed with Tibarn." Oh snap.

Reyson left in a huff. As soon as he passed through the doorway, Milo entered the room, slipping past the heron prince as though he were in a hurry.

"Sir! Duke Tanas is here to see you," Milo reported in a low voice.

"I figured. Make sure that Reyson doesn't see him and bring him in." Naesala stretched and breathed a heavy sigh. _Well, I suppose it could have been worse. But still… Reyson… You could never understand what it's like to rule a country that's cursed…_

The morbidly obese senator waddled into the room and waved a heavily-bejeweled hand.

"Ah, Duke Tanas. You must be here to pick up the art that we acquired from the ships of Duke Gaddos. The raid was quite a success," Naesala began, but he could tell that Oliver was not really paying attention. His eyes were lit up like those of a young boy in a candy store.

"King Kilvas! Wh-what was it that just left your office?" he stammered. "Such magnificence! Was that a member of the royal heron family?"

_Of course, you idiotic piece of donkey droppings. What other laguz tribe has white wings?_ Naesala smiled. "Yes, he is a heron. Now, can we stick to the business at hand?"

"Such sheer beauty! To think that such beauty exists on this continent! I am utterly amazed!" Oliver continued.

"Yes, I see that. Do you want that artwork we obtained or not?"

Oliver came closer to Naesala. "King Kilvas, I have a new proposition for you. If you successfully complete this request, I will double your normal rates!"

_What is this? I don't even have to trick him into paying me more? Something's not right…_ He glanced Oliver's beaming expression over. "Double the rates? Such generosity! What can the Kilvan raiders do for you today? Would you like more art, perhaps?"

Oliver chuckled. "Oh, but surely you have already guessed!"

Naesala's eyes widened. _He can't possibly mean…_ He kept his face as calm as possible. "You mean, Duke Tanas, that you would like the White Prince?"

"Absolutely!" the fat senator replied. "Such a lovely bird would almost fulfill my desire to be surrounded by objects of beauty! How much more beautiful can one get than a species that was blessed by the goddess herself?"

Naesala could not help but laugh. "Duke Tanas, _what_ exactly would you _possibly_ want with a member of the heron tribe? Surely he would get bored standing there in your art gallery!"

"No, no. I would have him accompany me in court! With a heron by my side, all of the other senators would be utterly jealous! They would fold to all of my requests! I could even surpass Duke Persis!"

_I doubt that._ Naesala nodded. "I see. And, if I acquire this for you, I would be receiving doubled rates?"

"I swear to it! Anything to have that heron!" Oliver exclaimed.

Naesala thought for a moment. _I give that fat senator a heron, and he pays me a giant sum of money. This doesn't sound too bad, actually. Oliver's dumb enough… Yes, I think it will work._ He smiled. "I will gladly accept this proposal. You will have your heron within the next few weeks."

Oliver jumped for joy, fat rolls bouncing as he did so. "Oh, I am so incredibly happy! I look forward to having him in my collection!" With that, he waved farewell and left the room.

"Oh my…" Naesala sat down in a nearby chair and ran a hand through his hair. _Well, this will certainly be interesting. Of course, Reyson's not going to go to Oliver willingly, even if I do tell him that I'm planning on rescuing him. I'll just have to get Reyson to Tanas somehow, collect my reward, lay low for a few days, and then rescue Reyson and make it look like he escaped. Then I'll explain everything to Reyson, and everything will be just fine. Now, how to get Reyson to Tanas…_

He quickly stood up and snapped his fingers at the onset of an idea. Then he left the room and ran down the corridor to one of the common rooms, where Nealuchi and Reyson were happily discussing the old days.

"Yes, Father always secretly disliked blueberries, but he knew that Mother loved them, so he would eat them anyway," Reyson was telling the old crow. He stopped and looked up as the raven king entered the room.

"Ah, Reyson, I was just looking for you!" Naesala exclaimed. "I was wondering if you would like to come back here for a longer visit in a few days?"

"Naesala, my business here is finished," Reyson muttered. "I need to attend to my father back in Phoenicis." He was still bitter from their previous argument.

Naesala sighed. "Reyson, there's something… I just think that we're both really misunderstanding each other. If we have more time, then maybe we can work out our differences."

Reyson's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"I think if I showed you something, it might help you understand," Naesala whispered. He saw Nealuchi cringe out of the corner of his eye. _It's not the blood pact mark, Nealuchi. That would be far too risky._

Reyson closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "…All right. I will be back here in three days."

Naesala smirked. _Excellent. That was easy enough._

* * *

_More Oliver-teasing. This makes me very happy. I'm going to have a lot more free time for January term than I thought I would, so hopefully updates will be much more frequent than they have been recently. Hopefully..._


	21. Chapter 21: Friends Close Enemies Closer

_Selling Reyson to Oliver was… a bad idea._

Chapter 21 – Friends Close, Enemies Closer

After the White Prince had left, Nealuchi followed Naesala into his private library and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Nestling! What are you thinking?" he gasped. "You can't show Reyson the blood pact mark—"

"It's not that, Nealuchi," Naesala replied in a low voice. "I know you're going to heavily chastise me for this, but I've just made a great deal with Duke Tanas."

Nealuchi let go of Naesala and backed away. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"That idiot senator wants another beautiful object, but this time, the object is none other than our good friend Reyson," Naesala explained casually. "He's going to give me double the normal rates if I deliver Reyson to him."

The old crow's eyes widened. "Y-you're going to… to _sell_ Prince Reyson?! To a _beorc_?!"

"Nealuchi, calm down. I have this all figured out." Naesala took a deep breath before continuing. "Reyson's upset at me because of all of my dealings with humans. I have to explain to him somehow that I don't like humans, but I have to work with them if Kilvas is going to prosper. Reyson hasn't been to Serenes Forest since the massacre, right? If I show him what the forest is like now, how the humans of Begnion have mutilated it, then maybe he'll realize how much I hate humans. You know, it will bring back old memories and such."

"But, Nestling, _selling_ him—"

"Nealuchi, I'm not finished," Naesala interrupted. "Yes, by taking Reyson to Serenes, I'll be able to trick him into going to the nearby Tanas estate. I'll collect my reward from that fat tub of lard, and then when he's least expecting it, I'll sneak in and rescue Reyson back! That way, I get money, and Reyson will stop pestering me about humans."

Nealuchi sat down in the desk chair in relief. "So Prince Reyson won't be harmed in any way?"

"Of course not! Duke Tanas won't allow the tiniest scratch to a piece of his collection." Naesala grinned. "Nealuchi, do you _really_ think I would sell my best friend to that fat slob and then not care about it?"

"Still, Nestling… I'm not so sure about this. Prince Reyson will be deeply hurt by your betrayal."

"I'm not _betraying_ him!" Naesala replied. "Double the normal rates, Nealuchi! Kilvas needs all the money she can get if she's going to survive this damn blood pact!" He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Besides, the request is from a senator. Even though Oliver isn't acting off of the blood pact, I still need to be careful not to upset him. I need to maintain good relations with Begnion for as long as possible until I can figure out a way to break this curse."

Nealuchi sighed. "I hope you're doing the right thing, Nestling… I really do."

A few days later, Reyson arrived in Kilvas. Naesala could tell that the White Prince was not in the best mood, so he kept up a friendly grin.

"Reyson, we'll have to do a bit of flying. Is that all right with you?" he asked.

"I suppose… Just as long as it isn't too much." Reyson frowned. "Why do we have to leave Kilvas, though?"

"It's a surprise. Just trust me, okay?" Naesala launched himself up into the air and beckoned for Reyson to follow.

_If I've timed this right, then it will be too dark to fly back. That way, we'll have to find a place to stay, and it just so happens that Oliver and his men have themselves conveniently hidden in his villa, along with Milo and a small batch of ravens. I'll just tell Reyson that it's abandoned. This flying will wear him out enough that he'll be too tired to care about the fact that it's a human villa._

"Naesala, what is it exactly that you want me to see?" Reyson called from behind. They were now flying steadily in the direction of Begnion. "I'd rather not be around any of your human friends right now."

"Reyson, why would I take you to humans?" Naesala sighed. "Just keep flying. We're almost there."

He heard the heron prince groan but resisted the urge to look back. A slight lump of guilt was building up in his throat, mostly because he was unsure of how negatively this plan would affect Reyson. After all, Reyson had not seen his homeland since it was destroyed twenty years ago. The heron had no idea just how much damage had been done after he and his father escaped.

_But this plan is the only way that I can get that money and still hope to restore friendship with Reyson. If I show him the forest, then he'll finally realize that I don't like working with humans, and then when I rescue him from Oliver, just maybe… Too much risk in this plan, but give or take a few years, things might go back to normal. _

The chill of autumn grew stronger as they continued north. The silence was beginning to bother Naesala, so he decided to see what reminiscing would do to the situation.

"So, Reyson. Remember when I tried to teach you how to fly?"

Reyson cocked his head. "Why are you suddenly bringing _that_ up?"

Naesala shrugged. "I don't know. I just happened to start thinking about old times. Maybe it has something to do with the time of year. Kilvas is always warm, but it's starting to get cold here."

"I suppose so," Reyson replied. "Anyway, what were you talking about when you taught me how to fly?"

"Oh, well…" Naesala smirked at his friend. "It's funny how much better you've gotten at flying since then. It's just weird to think how much people change over the years."

"Yes, I suppose so…" Reyson's voice trailed off.

_Oh dammit, he's going to use that to bring something up about my dealings with humans. 'You've changed, too, Naesala. You deal with humans. Tibarn says that's a bad thing. Blah blah blah…'_

"Naesala?"

_Here we go…_

Reyson cleared his throat. "I realize I've probably grown a bit… well, aggressive over the years. Tibarn told me this yesterday. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that I'm losing my heron qualities…"

This sudden confession surprised the raven king. He stopped flying momentarily to see Reyson's face and make sure that this was an honest confession, not some sort of joke. However, the heron's face was indeed genuine, his eyes drawn in concern.

"Reyson, you know… You've always been stubborn. That pretty much set you apart from the average heron from the very beginning." Naesala smiled. "Just make sure you don't sprout brown feathers and turn into a hawk, okay?"

He thought he saw his friend flash a quick smile, though he was not entirely sure. Glancing down below, he realized that they were closing in on Serenes Forest.

"Naesala, where _are_ we going? We've been flying for quite some time now," Reyson called from behind.

"We're almost there," Naesala replied. "Another minute or so and we'll get there. Don't worry." The dark, gloomy space that had once been Serenes Forest was now visible on the horizon.

_Reyson, don't be too upset. It's all going to make sense. Once I rescue you from Oliver and explain everything, then you'll be fine._

Finally, Naesala signaled for Reyson to land. The White Prince followed, landing softly in the mud.

"Wh-where is this place?" Reyson asked, glancing around nervously.

"This is what I was going to show you," Naesala explained. "Do you recognize it?"

"Recognize it? I…" He began fluttering off, his face completely white with shock. Naesala kept a close distance behind him, making sure that none of Oliver's henchmen were around to mess things up.

_Because humans think they're so smart and like to ruin excellent plans._

"This is… this is Serenes?" Reyson asked, almost in a whisper. He turned to Naesala and looked at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. "This barren wasteland? These charred trees? This is my homeland?" He stepped around the muddy forest floor, horrified at the skeleton-like, charred trees that surrounded him. Then a hauntingly beautiful speech poured out of his mouth, each word delicately flowing into the next.

Naesala gasped. "The ancient language! You can still speak it?" _So you haven't changed into a hawk after all._ However, the sudden sound of the heron tongue brought forth a flurry of memories, running around in a forest that used to be a vivid green, singing and fluttering about in the innocent games of childhood. He listened carefully and realized that he could still understand a language that he had not heard in almost twenty years.

"Oh, my forest! The beautiful trees! The life that used to thrive here! The land that was blessed by the goddess herself! Destroyed! Oh, my dear trees, I am sorry!" Reyson whispered these things in his mother tongue as he continued through the graveyard of trees.

"Reyson, this is what happened when you left," Naesala replied. "You see? Humans did this."

The wide, emerald eyes arched in sudden anger. "Those cursed humans! They did this?! I can never forgive them for this!"

Naesala looked right into Reyson's face to show just how honest he was being at that very moment. "Reyson, now you realize that I hate humans for doing stuff like this?"

Reyson nodded. "Yes, I understand, now. You must hate having to deal with them. Naesala, I'm sorry for accusing you of forgetting about your kin. I fully understand now."

Naesala smiled. "Good." _Just keep understanding that for the next few days, Reyson. Please…_ He sighed. "Well, it's getting late. I know of a senator's villa around here that we can stay in for the night. It should be empty at this time of year, so it's ours for the raiding – er, staying in."

Reyson frowned. "A _human's_ house?"

"Reyson, think about it. It's getting dark, and we birds can't see once the sun goes down." He pointed up at the sky. "I'm only worried about our safety."

"I guess you have a point…" Reyson looked back at the desolate remains of his forest once more. "Rest in peace, my brothers and sisters," he whispered in the heron tongue.

Naesala led Reyson to the Tanas villa, glancing around to make sure that the soldiers were indeed well-hidden. He could not see any sign of Oliver as they walked through the empty hallways.

"Whoever owns this villa is sickeningly rich," Reyson spat out. "They probably used wood from the Serenes Forest to build it."

"It wouldn't surprise me at all," Naesala replied truthfully. In his mind he could imagine Oliver jumping up and down at the sight of an "object of beauty" made from Serenes wood.

Finally, they reached a large bedroom on the second floor. Naesala lit a torch on the wall.

"I think this should do for now," he told Reyson. "You wait here. I'm going to see if I can find some food around here." He turned to leave the room.

"Wait, Naesala." Reyson took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say… Thank you. I really appreciate what you've done."

"Don't worry about it, Reyson." Naesala grinned. "We're old friends, right?"

"Right!" Reyson returned the smile.

Naesala nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Then he leaned against the wall and sighed. _Great. Now I feel even worse about doing this… _He wandered down the hallway until he met up with Milo.

"Is everything ready?" he asked the captain.

"Yes, sir! But, about Duke Tanas… He's literally… _quivering_ with anticipation." Milo shuddered. "It's not pretty. Kinda reminds me of gelatin, and not the tasty kind."

"I can imagine." Naesala shook the image out of his head. "Just hold back that mountain of suet for a little longer. If Reyson sees any humans in here at all, he'll fly out of here."

Milo saluted. "I'm on it, sir." He turned and went back down the hallway.

_Now all we have to do is wait for Reyson to fall asleep. I collect my wages, and then we fly out of here. No problem at all._

* * *

_I just had to keep the "mountain of suet" line in. It makes me giggle every time I read it. There might be a slight delay before I post the next chapter. Possibly. Very likely. I apologize in advance. I'm incredibly busy all the time..._


	22. Chapter 22: A Flaw in the Plan

_I don't think I've ever been as worried about Reyson in my life as I was when the Tanas estate was sacked. _

Chapter 22 – A Flaw in the Plan

After about another hour, Reyson fell sound asleep. Naesala slipped out of the room and signaled to his men to leave the villa. Then he went down the hall to Oliver's room to collect his reward. The fat senator was indeed jiggling with delight as he handed two large bags of gold to the raven king.

"Duke Tanas, please contain yourself for a little bit longer," Naesala muttered. "The heron prince needs his sleep, and if he wakes up and sees you, it will all be over."

"Yes, I understand. Oh, what magnificence!" His wide face was glowing.

"Remember, if you ever need more art, just call on Kilvas." Naesala smirked. "Now, I must be on my way, for I have business elsewhere. Take care." He then joined his men outside of the villa, and they flew off to a nearby clearing to rest for the night.

The next morning came far too quickly for Naesala. He stretched his wings and wiped some of the morning dew off of his clothes. The feeling of guilt was beginning to form a small bubble inside of him as he thought of Reyson now waking up to find himself in Oliver's possession.

_Reyson, I'm sorry. You're going to hate me right now, I'm sure, but it's all going to be fine. Just wait a day or two, and don't do anything stupid._

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, but Naesala knew he had to get further away from the mansion before any of Oliver's guards noticed that the ravens were still hiding out. He told Milo to take the other ravens up north to Daein and rendezvous with Petrine.

"Tell her that I'll be joining you shortly. We might as well start sucking up to her as soon as possible." He yawned and stretched his wings. "I'll be hanging out around here for a few days until I can rescue Reyson."

"Got it, sir!" Milo saluted and led the other ravens off.

Naesala then took the opportunity to explore the surrounding areas of Tanas, making sure to avoid any small towns where he could be recognized by guards. The chill of winter was growing stronger, and all of the leaves of the trees were slowly turning into shades of red and yellow. Naesala was not used to this phenomenon, since Kilvas was always warm.

_I don't remember the leaves in Serenes ever falling. Maybe Serenes was just different since it was the home of the herons… Still, this is pretty interesting._

After two days he decided to go sneaking around Oliver's mansion to see what was going on. He flew in the direction of the villa, but as he drew closer he could sense that something was wrong. The people of Tanas were crowding the streets below, running around in a panicked fashion.

_Why aren't there any soldiers dealing with crowd control?_ he thought. _If there's an attack going on, there should be military here to fight it off…_

Upon reaching the palace, he merely stopped in midair and stared at the scene with terrified eyes.

_What… what happened?!_

He now understood why the people were in such frenzy. The villa had been completely sacked; windows were broken, statues were lying in pieces on the ground, and parts of the walls had been burned. He rushed into the building and flew through the hallways, looking for any signs of life. However, the place was completely empty. Burn marks on the floor and a few corpses of Tanas soldiers told him that there had been a fierce battle.

_Reyson… Dammit! Don't tell me something happened to him!_

His heart was banging in his chest as he frantically searched each room for clues to what had happened to his friend. All of the corpses were of Tanas soldiers, meaning that their adversary had been incredibly powerful. This only served to increase his worry.

_What if they got Reyson, too? Would they have killed him? No, what kind of low person would kill a heron laguz? Then again, this _is_ Begnion… Maybe they took him captive. He'd fetch a good price among any slave traders. Considering how highly Oliver thought of him, the attackers might have been looking for some expensive loot. But what kind of looters would be able to wipe out a trained military unit? Reyson, where the _hell _are you? _

Finally, he came to the room where he had originally left Reyson only two nights before. The door was already ajar, so he walked in slowly, dreading what he might find.

A stray white feather caught the corner of his eye, causing him to freeze in fear. Fortunately, this was the only feather in the room. There were no blood stains or signs of a struggle. He also noticed that a window in the corner of the room was open, its white curtains flapping in the gentle breeze.

_He could have escaped out of the window…_ Naesala picked up the white feather from the floor and sighed. _Damn… this ruins everything._ Curiosity led him over to the window, and he noticed that it faced the direction of Serenes Forest; the dead trees were barely visible over the outline of the buildings of Tanas. He glanced down at the feather in his hand and closed his eyes.

_The best case scenario is that he escaped to Serenes. I need to find out what happened. If Oliver's alive, he could have taken Reyson with him while fleeing from the palace. Reyson… you better not be dead._

After searching the entire villa, Naesala was unable to find anything out. All he knew was that the villa was completely abandoned. He decided to disguise himself and go into town to gather more information. He threw a cloak over his wings and tucked his hair under a feather cap that was lying on the floor, donning the guise of a common bard. Then he left the villa and took the long way into town, so that it would not appear as though he had just come from the villa.

The town was still bustling in confusion when he arrived. He began asking various townsfolk about the source of the frenzy.

"Well, it sounds like Duke Tanas got sacked," an old man explained to him.

"What do you mean?" Naesala asked in a gruff voice, hiding any traces of his Kilvan accent. "Was he attacked by bandits?"

"No, sir! These were more than common bandits!" The old man shook his head. "Rumor is that they came from the Apostle herself! They come to look for illegal stuff in his mansion. They must have found something."

"Illegal stuff, huh?" Naesala shrugged. "Well, that's mighty interesting. Where's Duke Tanas now?"

"I dunno. If he's not dead, he's probably hiding away somewhere. I didn't tell you this, but Duke Tanas is a right coward, he is." The old man chuckled.

"Ah. Well, thanks for your information," Naesala replied. He wandered around town, asking the same questions.

"I think they were looking for subhuman slaves," a young woman told him. "My brother said he was walking near the villa, and he saw an angel fly out of one of the windows!"

Naesala's eyes widened. "An angel, you say?"

"Yeah! He said it had white wings and white clothing! He thought it was a subhuman, but I don't know of any subhumans with white wings, besides the herons. But, you know, they're all…" Her voice trailed off and she stared at the ground uncomfortably.

_Yeah, I know what happened to them, you human bitch,_ Naesala thought bitterly. "Maybe he was just seeing things," he replied, keeping his voice calm.

"That's what I say." She looked back up at him. "So what are you doing in Tanas?"

"Me? Oh, I'm just a wandering bard. Looks like there's no need for me to stay here, though." Naesala turned and lost himself in the crowd before the woman could ask anymore questions.

_So Reyson did escape through the window. That's good to hear. At least he's alive… And he's probably in Serenes, since it's the only place around here that he's familiar with._

After questioning a few more individuals, Naesala gathered that Oliver had indeed survived the battle and was hiding in the woods somewhere.

_Which means he's probably either waiting to attack the Apostle's men, or he's looking for Reyson, or both. Either way, I've got to get Reyson out of here._

He was about to fly in the direction of Serenes when a sudden thought struck him.

_Wait, there's no way I'll be able to convince Reyson to go with me. I already betrayed him once. If I tell him I'm coming to rescue him, he probably won't believe me, and then he'll end up getting kidnapped again, or killed… I don't think any amount of explaining will help at this point… Dammit! I didn't plan for this at all!_

Frustrated, he went outside of town to clear his head and think. He sat down on a large boulder and groaned, rubbing his temples.

_But I can't just _leave_ Reyson in Serenes when that fat piece of gelatin is looking for him! Besides, the Apostle's men might be looking for him, too. They could try to seize him for the Apostle's use, or they might kill him by accident. What to do…_

The next idea that popped into his head was not particularly inviting, either.

_He'll listen to Tibarn. He'll do whatever that damn hawk says. Tibarn's the only one who can rescue him at this rate… Great. That means I'll have to get the hawks involved, which means now _everyone_ will know that I sold Reyson to a human. Well this is just wonderful… Damn it all..._

He sighed. _I guess it would have happened anyway, though. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. Would Reyson have actually forgiven me if everything had gone according to plan? Well, at least Kilvas benefitted from it…_ He jingled the bags of money hanging from his belt. _Reyson would rather stay with those hawks, anyway._

He pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing a letter to Nealuchi, explaining the situation and telling him to go to Tibarn and ask him to rescue Reyson. Then he flew down to Sienne, where two raven scouts were stationed, and ordered them to deliver the message to Nealuchi immediately.

"Don't read it. Just fly to Kilvas as quickly as possible. It's urgent! Nealuchi needs to get this right away!"

"Yes, sir!" The two raven scouts quickly flew off to the south, leaving a depressed Naesala behind.

_Well, I guess I might as well rendezvous with the others in Daein. Reyson sure as hell won't want to see me, and I'd prefer that Tibarn not try to rip me to shreds at the moment. Tibarn won't fail to rescue him, anyway. No point in staying around here anymore…_

With a heavy sigh, he forced his wings to carry himself up into the air and flew north to Daein, a large lump of remorse hanging in his throat.

* * *

_SO sorry for the delay. I've been incredibly busy, and I don't know when I'll have time to work on the next few chapters. Yes, I realize that this chapter is a bit short, but this was the best chapter break. But yeah, BETRAYAL SCENE! WOO!_


	23. Chapter 23: Relief

_I've never experienced so many emotions in one day as I did the day I met Petrine, because not only did I meet my next plaything, but I also received a very important letter from Nealuchi that changed my life._

Chapter 23 – Relief

The dreary atmosphere of the Daein people was easily reflected in its weather – gray, cold, and harsh. Naesala had seen snow before, but nothing as gloomy as the Daein winter. Everywhere he looked he saw gray and white, whether it was in the snow, the houses, or the faces of the people.

_Thank goodness Kilvas has a nice, warm climate all year round,_ he thought as he blinked a few flakes of snow out of his eyes. _And this snow won't help us in our battle tactics at all. Our black feathers will completely stick out in this white snow. Which begs the question… why is Daein's armor black if they frequently experience such snowy winters?_

He looked around at the beorc soldiers shivering in their armor. He was somewhat cold, but he knew that once he transformed into his raven form, his feathers would keep him warm enough. However, the wind did not seem to be in his favor.

_What a depressing land. No wonder everyone here is so gloomy. Well, that and the fact that they're in a war. Even Kilvas during the depression was happier than this place. _

Naesala had just arrived in Daein, which was experiencing an early winter. The coldness did little to help the worry that had continually been building up inside of him since he left Tanas. All he could do was trust that Tibarn would not fail to rescue Reyson. It had been five days since he sent his message to Nealuchi.

_At that rate, Nealuchi probably got the message three or four days ago, which means that if all is going according to plan, Tibarn is just reaching Serenes today. Of course, my luck with plans hasn't been going too well lately…_

He groaned and leaned against one of the supply carts that was carrying extra weapons. Petrine would be arriving that day, and he was not particularly anxious to meet her. From the soldiers' stiffened postures and frantic inspections, he assumed that the general was incredibly strict.

He and the other ravens were not as concerned as the soldiers. Milo and a few other ravens were currently playing a game of dice in the snow, while some of the other ravens were having fun purposely getting in the way of the rushing Daeins as they tried to prepare their camp for the general's arrival. Naesala chuckled quietly when Milo stuck his leg out just in time to trip a solider who was running while carrying a load of swords. The soldier dropped the weapons in the snow and had a difficult time trying to find them in the fluffy white mass.

_No wonder human armies are so weak… They're so worried about appearances that they spend more time prettying up than they do on training. I have a feeling that this Petrine will be fun to play with._

However, Naesala was surprised when one of the Daein soldiers pointed out Petrine's horse. The general arrived early that afternoon, her long, dark hair trailing out behind her as she approached the camp. Her skin-tight armor accentuated her curvy figure, and from the moment she hopped off of her horse, Naesala knew he would not be able to take her seriously.

_She's a general? She looks more like she's working the streets… Maybe she's able to defeat her enemies by distracting them with her obscenely large chest. She must be desperate for a man, considering how much of her breasts are spilling out of her jacket right now._ He smirked at her when she looked at him.

"And you must be King Kilvas," she remarked in a bored voice. "I see you made it here a bit earlier than expected."

"Ah, well, we found ourselves with a bit of extra time on our hands," Naesala lied. "Besides, I was just so _anxious_ to meet my new commander. You certainly look like quite the professional."

Petrine stared at him for a moment before responding. "Yes… Well, let's get into a tent and out of this beastly snow. Dog's breath, it's cold…" She led him into a large, black tent where battle planning commenced.

"The Crimean Liberation Army was last seen in Daein," Petrine reported. "According to our last report, they are working with the Apostle, which could pose a problem."

_Yeah, having the strongest nation in Tellius on your opponent's side is just a minor problem. A minor one…_ Naesala suppressed a sarcastic groan.

"However," Petrine continued, "we expect that they will be moving through Tor Garen within the next few months. It's the only way they can possibly get into Daein, so we'll stop them there."

"And when that doesn't work, what's your Plan B?" Naesala muttered.

Petrine shot him a dark glare. "You don't have much faith in the Daein Army, do you, King Kilvas?"

Naesala shrugged. "The princess' troupe of mercenaries has made it through several seemingly impossible obstacles. I don't think they're a force to be taken lightly. You can't just assume that your first plan is going to succeed."

"I _know_ that, King Kilvas," Petrine explained through gritted teeth. "Of course we have alternate plans. However, you do not realize what kind of force you're working with. Norris was not the greatest captain. You'll soon see that I do not make the same kind of mistakes he did."

_I highly doubt that._ Naesala grinned. "Of course not. You just have such a professional look about you, General. I can see that you never make _any_ mistakes."

Petrine's eye twitched as though she could recognize the sarcasm in his voice, but she remained silent. Instead, she pulled out a map and began discussing their plans to stop the Crimean Liberation Army.

"Do you have any questions, King Kilvas?" she asked when they had finished.

"I do." Naesala cleared his throat. "I have been wondering this since I came here to your lovely little country. Why do the soldiers of a land that is covered in snow most of the year wear black armor? Don't you think that's a bit counter-productive?"

Petrine huffed. "Our campaign has been incredibly successful. I don't think the color of our armor has been causing us any trouble, considering the fact that Crimea is currently under our control and the Gallian beasts aren't even trying to defend the country that supposedly befriended them."

"I suppose so…" Naesala sighed. "It all just seems a bit silly to me. But no matter. I will never be able to fully understand your ways. As long as I'm paid, I'll be content. Speaking of which, I'd like to discuss wages…"

"King Kilvas, I have to inspect the troops. Perhaps another time…" She stood up and walked toward the door, but Naesala blocked her path.

"Ah, you see, the men are getting a bit anxious. It's been a while since we were last paid. I'd like to at least be able to report something back to them to keep them satisfied for the time being."

Petrine glared at him. "Dog's breath! Another time! I'm far too busy to deal with such trifles!"

Naesala moved closer to her. "General… You want us to keep working with you, don't you? I can't guarantee that my men will stay if they don't know what kind of wages they will be—"

"_Fine_! I'll discuss your wages!" She stormed back over to the table, while Naesala followed her with mischievous grin.

"The late Captain Norris paid quite a miserable sum," he explained. "I'm hoping that you will be much more generous, since you have such a professional look about you."

"According to the treasury records, you and your men were to be paid 50,000 gold," Petrine droned. "Did you not receive that amount?"

"That is indeed what I received," the raven replied. Then he put on a face of despair. "But, my dear general, my men were not satisfied with that. When one considers how far we've been traveling, plus the need to purchase food and clothing, and the fact that we're away from our loving families who need our support—"

"Dog's breath! You're scavengers!" Petrine shouted, slamming her fist on the table. "You don't need to purchase anything! You just steal it!"

Naesala gasped. "My lady general, you wound me! Such myths about our fair race are not entirely true! How do you think we all manage to dress in dark clothing? We must buy that dark fabric, you know, and such rich dyes are not cheap. Besides, we cannot live off of scraps of carrion from the forest for long and expect to be healthy fighters! Do you not want us to be in our prime so that we may better serve you?"

Petrine rolled her eyes. "Fine! What do you want your wages to be?"

He flashed a devilish smile. "80,000 gold."

"What? That's ridiculous! Do you think we just have mountains of gold lying around in our snowy hills?"

"Your king, his majesty Ashnard, promised me that we would be paid a sufficient amount in return for our aid," Naesala replied. "Please, imagine our predicament, General. We come from a small island nation where the weather is always warm and pleasant. We are not used to such harsh, frigid cold. The only thing keeping us here is the promise of 'a sufficient amount' of gold." He sighed. "I suppose my men will either have to starve in the snow on pitiful wages, or they'll just abandon Daein and return to the warm, sunny shores of Kilvas…"

Petrine let out a scream of frustration. "Fine! Have your damn gold! I don't care! Just get out there and fight for us, or we'll wipe you out once we've finished with Crimea!" She pulled out a piece of parchment and angrily scribbled a message to the army treasurer. "I'll send this right away! Are you happy now?"

Naesala pretended to think for a moment. "Hmm, yes, I think that will be sufficient for now. I can't guarantee for the future, though…"

"Just GET OUT!"

He bowed. "As you wish, my lady. It will be quite a pleasure to work with you, I'm sure." With that, he turned and left the tent. Once he was on the edge of camp, he burst out laughing.

_Well, she was certainly a bit more stubborn than Norris, but she's still easy to crack. Such a temperament won't get her very far in life, I'm afraid._

The light sound of approaching footsteps in the snow caught his attention, and he turned to see Milo.

"Sir, I've just received a letter from Nealuchi," Milo told him, holding out a small envelope.

Naesala quickly snatched it from the captain and glanced it over. _Yes, that's definitely Nealuchi's handwriting. It must be about Reyson!_ He maintained a calm exterior and nodded. "Thank you, Milo. You may leave now."

Milo saluted and fluttered off.

Naesala's hands were shaking as he opened the envelope. Then he read slowly:

_"Nestling,_

_I know that first and foremost you want to hear of Prince Reyson's condition. I'm happy to say that he's safe and sound in Tibarn's care again."_

Naesala breathed a heavy sigh of relief. _Thank the goddess…_

"_As soon as I received your message, I flew to Phoenicis and begged King Tibarn for help. Needless to say, the hawk king is very upset with you right now. However, he was more concerned with Prince Reyson, so he left with his Eyes and Ears at once. A scout in Phoenicis reported the rest to me. Nestling, you won't believe it. My hand is quivering with excitement as I write this: Serenes has been revived!_

Naesala blinked and read that last statement over again. _Revived?_

"_The band of mercenaries with Princess Crimea was sent to Duke Tanas to investigate claims of illegal laguz slaves living in his mansion. Then they went to Serenes to keep him away from Prince Reyson – I believe they were acting on the Apostle's orders. And here I must disclose the most exciting and shocking news: while in Serenes Forest, they found none other than Princess Leanne! Nestling, she's alive! She's been alive this whole time! Apparently the forest protected her during the massacre, and she slept there until just a day ago, when the battle with Oliver happened. The mercenaries protected her from Oliver and then defeated him._

The letter finally slipped out of Naesala's hands and dropped into the soft snow below.

"Leanne is alive…" he whispered. A surge of joy was bubbling up inside him, seeping into his bones until he could no longer contain it. "She's alive!" He began dancing around, spinning in circles until he finally fell down into the snow, laughing in relief.

_To think, all this time… Oh, you mischievous little thing! Twenty years of everyone thinking that you were dead…_ Tears began streaming down his face. _Oh, Leanne… I can't believe you're still alive!_

The rest of the letter explained how the Apostle personally apologized to Reyson and Leanne for the Serenes Massacre, something which Naesala could hardly believe, as well as how Reyson and Leanne sang the ancient galdr to revive the forest. However, none of that could surpass the happiness he now felt at the news that his little princess had survived the Serenes Massacre.

* * *

_I do apologize once again for the delay... Hopefully the updates will be a little more regular for a while. I'm just glad that I've gotten to the point where everyone knows that Leanne is alive again! Yay for happy things! And yes, I enjoy bashing Petrine, even though I love her sassiness..._

_In response to the anonymous review I received concerning Ranulf, I'll probably have him in here for a little bit, but he's not very central to the story._

_EDITI: Whoops, I just realized that Naesala shouldn't know that Leanne is alive yet... Oh well. My apologies for straying from the original storyline a bit._


	24. Chapter 24: Money and Friendship

_I was astounded when I found out that Reyson was helping out a beorc princess whom he hardly knew. When Janaff approached me during that battle, I suddenly found myself choosing between money and friends. It wouldn't be the first time this happened to me, unfortunately…_

Chapter 24 – Money and Friendship

It was not long before reports of the Crimean Liberation Army's advance reached Petrine through word sent by a spy.

"Dog's breath, they're not wasting any time!" she shouted upon hearing the news. She quickly gathered Naesala and her captains together to set out the final plans.

Captain Kayachey was to remain in Tor Garen and stop the Crimeans there. If he somehow managed to fail, he was to send for reinforcements from the western summit, where Naesala and Captain Homasa would be waiting in case Tor Garen fell to the Crimeans.

"Not that they have any chance of getting through me!" Kayachey remarked with a confident smirk. "What can a lousy bunch of mercenaries do against a trained army?"

"That's what the last few captains have said before they were ruthlessly defeated," Naesala muttered. Kayachey only glared at him in response.

"Yes, well, we just won't let our guard down, will we?" Petrine replied. "Now, they should be here within a few hours. I'm riding on ahead to the western summit to give Captain Homasa his instructions, and then I'm heading back to Talrega. Remember, they're just a bunch of mercenaries, so don't let them make a mockery of us any longer!"

Kayachey saluted. "Yes, General Petrine! Understood!"

"Our spy should send the signal once they're within a mile of the border," Petrine continued. "That will give you enough time to prepare."

_Ah, so we have a spy amidst their ranks?_ Naesala grinned. _That sounds like something I'd do. No wonder they contacted Kilvas for help._

Once Petrine had ridden off toward the western summit, Naesala went to his own troops to relay the instructions.

"I'll command the raven brigade here," Milo offered. "I remember the battle with them back in Phoenician waters. I know how they move."

"Excellent idea," Naesala answered. "Now, just be careful. You know how Seeker underestimated them. They may just be mercenaries, but they're not to be taken lightly." He yawned. "However, I've learned that there's a Daein spy among their group. They have that disadvantage running against them."

Within a few hours, a wyvern scout spotted the signal from the spy. Naesala checked in with Kayachey before flying off toward the western summit with the majority of the Kilvan troops.

_Our forces and Daein's greatly outnumber the Crimean Liberation Army. It shouldn't be too long of a battle, but I only hope Milo knows when to fly off if it looks hopeless._

The summit was even snowier than Tor Garen, much to Naesala's displeasure. He found himself constantly fluttering his wings to keep them from getting too cold or icy. Captain Homasa was busy with managing his troops, so Naesala was unable to attempt to further increase his wages.

_Then again, I suppose I'll wait until it looks like they've gained the upper hand before I attempt to weed more money out of them. Success makes people a bit more generous, after all._

The falling snow was so thick that he could barely make out the dark wings of Milo four hours later. The captain was alone, which had Naesala concerned.

"Wiped out?"

"Yes, sir," Milo reported. "The Crimeans destroyed both the Daeins and our brigade." He looked down at his feet in embarrassment. "It seems they were much stronger than Captain Kayachey had anticipated."

"Ah, pride often does go before a fall…" Naesala shrugged. "Well, that comes as somewhat of a surprise to me. I didn't think they would win by such a large margin, considering that they're just mercenaries… I guess that means they'll be here soon as they continue their romp through Daein."

"Very likely, yes." Milo sighed. "One thing I noticed during the battle, sir, if you wish for me to report it."

"By all means, yes!"

Milo swallowed hard before continuing. "I think… Captain Kayachey's strategy involved using our troops first. He wanted us to go on the front line, you see."

Naesala laughed. "Really? He didn't even trust his own troops?"

Milo shook his head. "It seemed more like he wanted to sacrifice our own troops to lessen Daein casualties. It's a good thing you left such a small squad there, or we may have had more raven casualties!"

Naesala frowned. "Well, that certainly isn't a nice way to treat someone you're paying to help you… Thank you for telling me, Milo. This will help me guide our own troops, if Homasa uses the same strategy as his unfortunate predecessor."

"Shall I report to General Petrine?" Milo suddenly asked. "I'm sure you'll be needed here, sir."

"Yes, they'll need me to stop the Crimeans, since they've been failing so spectacularly so far…" Naesala paused. "Wait, Milo. Don't go to Petrine. Send a human instead."

Milo's eyes widened. "But, sir! A wingless Daein will take way too long to reach—"

Naesala smirked. "We'll just use Daein's strategy against them. Petrine can be a bit… short-tempered… Unless, of course, you still wish to go, Milo. She'll roast you alive with that flame lance of hers when you tell her that Crimea was victorious yet again."

Milo gulped. "I-I see… Yes, I'll send a Daein instead. Better that she take her anger out on him than me."

"Exactly." Naesala involuntarily shuddered as a gust of wind came through. "Thanks for the report, Milo. You're dismissed. Go find a mindless Daein and then find someplace warm to rest."

Milo was all too happy with this idea and eagerly fluttered off.

_So, Crimea will be coming here. I'm amazed that they managed to breach Tor Garen. I always thought it was supposed to be impregnable… Well, that's beorc technology for you._ He glanced up at the sky and noticed that the red, setting sun was just barely peeking through the storm clouds.

_At this rate, the Crimeans will want to rest for the night. That means they'll be here tomorrow… Well, they better hurry up. I want to move to a warmer post…_

The next morning brought only more snow and gusty wind. The Daein soldiers were bustling around, preparing for the arrival of the Crimean Liberation Army in only a few hours. Naesala had grown so tired of trying to trudge through the snow that he found himself flying everywhere, hovering just a few feet off the ground. When he spotted Petrine's black horse riding toward him, he let out a loud groan.

_Of course she would come here _now_… Maybe I can ask her to let our group go into Crimea. I hear it's lovely there this time of year._

"King Kilvas! I must speak with you!" Petrine hopped off of her horse and walked up to the unenthused raven.

"Why, General Petrine!" Naesala exclaimed, putting on his best fake smile. "What brings you up here to these frosty peaks?"

"Oh, don't even try that with me," she spat out. "I heard that Tor Garen fell. Is this true?"

"Unfortunately, that is the report I received last night…"

Petrine rolled her eyes. "Dog's breath! That worthless Kayachey! I knew he wouldn't be able to do it…"

_Wait a minute. Just yesterday you were talking about…_ Naesala smirked. "But, surely it wasn't entirely his fault. After all, it seems that he was under the impression that the princess' army was incredibly weak. Someone severely underestimated our enemy, wouldn't you say?"

Petrine glared at him. "Are you saying that it's Daein's fault? Are you _insulting_ Daein?"

"Of _course_ not. Why would I ever do such a thing?" Naesala chuckled. "Anyway, we will be sure to stop them here. I am going to be taking the battlefield myself this time."

"You are? Well, it seems this will be a grand battle, indeed, King Kilvas." Petrine eyed him carefully, as though she was trying to measure his strength.

"Remember, Kilvas will always be on the side of Daein, as long as we're paid. Speaking of payments—"

"Yes, yes, you'll receive your next payment after this battle!" Petrine shouted in frustration.

"Good. As long as we're clear on that." Naesala's calm but mischievous grin stood as a stark contrast to Petrine's angry, scrunched-up face. "Now, I must leave you, General, so that I may work on a strategy with your friend Homasa." He gave a quick bow and flew away before she could question him.

_At this point, I better not rely on any information we receive from Daein spies,_ Naesala thought after he had met with Homasa. _The captain is just as cocky as Kayachey was, and I can't afford any more heavy losses for Kilvas. If I stay up in the cliffs, I should be able to see how the Crimeans are fighting, and I can figure out a strategy for our troops. Of course, it would be nice if the snow would die down a bit so I could see… _

He could just barely make out small dots approaching the summit. The Crimean Liberation Army looked small to him, for he could count about twenty dots. _That might not be their whole army, but only sending out twenty against a Daein military unit? They must prize quality over quantity… _

Squinting through the snow as best as he could, he observed as brown, blue, and green dots clashed against the black dots of Daein. He was so absorbed in watching the battle below that he almost did not notice the pair of tawny wings heading his direction. He spotted the hawk just in time and transformed to meet him.

_A hawk? In this battlefield? Don't tell me Tibarn's backing the Crimeans now!_

"King Kilvas! Halt where you are!" the hawk called. "I need to have a word with you."

"Ah, you are the king's 'eyes,' if I'm not mistaken," Naesala muttered once he was close enough to recognize Janaff. "What brings you up north?"

Janaff glared at him. "I thought you'd reached the height of your treachery with what you did to Prince Reyson, but siding with Daein? You know how much they hate the laguz! How can you fight against your own kind?"

Naesala shrugged. "The pay's good. As long as they're paying me, I can't complain. Besides, Reyson's safe and sound, thanks to you, so I don't see any problem."

"Well, I'd like to you go repeat that to the prince's face right now!" Janaff shouted.

Naesala's stomach dropped. "R-Reyson's here?"

"Yes! He's supporting the Crimean Liberation Army because their commander helped him!" Janaff explained. "Commander Ike protected Prince Reyson _and_ Princess Leanne!"

Naesala gulped. "Ah. Well. That makes things a little more interesting…"

Janaff rolled his eyes. "You go over and talk to the prince right now, or we'll know that you really are the enemy of all laguz. King Tibarn won't like that one bit when we tell him about that, now, will he?"

_Ugh, of course the hawks have to be involved in this,_ Naesala thought as he watched Janaff fly away. _And Reyson, too? What the hell's he thinking, going out onto a battlefield? I can't even believe that he's helping out a bunch of humans…_

He glanced over in Homasa's direction and groaned. _I'm getting paid after this battle… Why couldn't they have waited just one more battle to come here? Dammit, Reyson…_ Then an idea popped into his head. He flew over to Milo, who was waiting with a group of ravens near the center of the fighting.

"Milo, how is everything going?" Naesala asked the captain.

"Not well," Milo replied. "Honestly, I don't think we can get through this battle without getting a lot of casualties, especially since they have hawks on their side!"

"I'm beginning to think the same thing," Naesala replied. "So, here's the plan. Send a few ravens back to the main camp and raid as much money as you can. Soon I'm going to give an order to pull out, so I think we should make a little profit out of this misadventure."

"Really? Are you sure about that, sir?" Milo scratched the back of his head.

"I've just been informed that Prince Reyson is with the Crimeans," Naesala explained. "We've gotta pull out. I'm going to go find him and settle some things, and then we're going home."

Milo grinned. "Excellent. I was getting tired of the smell of Daein human, anyway."

With that, Naesala made his way over toward a pair of white wings that almost blended in perfectly with the snow. Reyson instantly spotted him and met him in the air.

"Well, Reyson! I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here!" Naesala exclaimed, his tension growing with Reyson's angry glare.

"…Naesala," Reyson spat. "I don't even want to look at you right now."

Naesala rolled his eyes. "Come on, Reyson. I know I've been called shameless before, but you have to let me explain. We're friends, after all!"

"Yes, such _great _friends! That's why you sold me to that fat beorc man, isn't it?" Reyson shouted.

_Oh, this is not going to go well, is it…_ "I didn't… technically sell you," Naesala muttered. "Besides, I was _going_ to come back to rescue you, but you decided to fly off on your own, so—"

"You're blaming _me_ for this?"

"Not… exactly… Maybe…" _It _did_ ruin that excellent plan of mine._ Naesala sighed. "Look, it was my fault. I completely misjudged the situation. Anyway, the hawks and these lovely humans rescued you, so why the ruffled feathers?"

Reyson took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll accept that." Then he looked into Naesala's eyes. "Leanne is alive, you know."

Naesala smiled. "I know. Isn't that great? Your father might finally perk up some when he sees her. I mean, things are looking up now, aren't they?"

"I suppose… If you hadn't taken me to Serenes and lied to me—" Naesala felt himself involuntarily flinch at the word "lied"—"then I wouldn't have found Leanne, and we wouldn't have revived the forest. So I guess I can forgive you…"

Naesala's heart lightened considerably upon hearing that. "Oh, Reyson, that's gr—"

"_With_ conditions." Reyson's face remained emotionless.

"Fine. What are they?" The excitement inside his heart quickly melted away.

"Leave this battle at once, and never, ever enter into battle against your fellow laguz."

Naesala groaned. "All right. You know, it's not going to be easy, but I'll do it for your sake. I can't guarantee anything about the future, though. I have to do whatever's best for Kilvas, you know."

"I figured as much." Reyson's eyes narrowed, as though he knew that what Naesala really meant was, "I'll side with whoever pays me that most."

_Ugh, come on, Reyson… Don't give me that look. Maybe I can try to cheer him up some more._ "So, we _are_ friends again, right?" he asked warily. "You know, you should bring Leanne to Kilvas sometime. You know how happy that would make the old crow."

Reyson's face began to soften. "Perhaps." He turned to leave, but Naesala stopped him.

"Reyson. Don't get yourself killed, all right? Nealuchi would never let me hear the end of it if he knew I was letting you go out on battlefields and all this nonsense."

Finally, Reyson flashed gentle smile. "Thank you, Naesala."

Naesala grinned back at him and watched him fly back toward the Crimeans. _About time he smiled again. That frown makes him look even older than Nealuchi sometimes._ Then he turned and fluttered off to Milo and the other ravens.

"All right, darkwings!" he shouted. "Take wing and head for home! We're getting out of this frigid wasteland!"

The ravens cheered and followed him as he took off.

_Ugh, I just hope I'm making the right decision here,_ he thought as he soared through the snow toward the warm south.

* * *

_I left out the whole knight ring thing because I didn't feel like writing it. Anyway, I'm just excited because Leanne is coming in soon. Probably not the next chapter, but definitely the one after. YAY._


	25. Chapter 25: Another Kidnapping

_It seemed almost like some cruel kind of déjà vu when I heard that Leanne had been kidnapped by Daein. Of course, working for Tibarn wasn't exactly the most fun way to go about rescuing her, but I had always been her little protector when we were kids. I would have gone after her even if Tibarn hadn't paid me._

Chapter 25 – Another Kidnapping

Several weeks passed in Kilvas without incident. Naesala found himself welcoming the break, although income was now slow since he had cut his ties with Daein. Oliver's death had also become a bit of a financial inconvenience, since the fat senator had paid handsomely for Naesala's services.

However, Kilvas' shores were warm and sunny, and after having to spend so much time in the snowy mountains of Daein, Naesala was greatly enjoying the chance to lie outside and take a nap at his leisure.

_Just like the old days, back before I became king,_ he thought one afternoon as he lay out on a rocky cliff, sunning his feathers. _Begnion's busy with their own problems, along with their involvement with the war against Daein, so no lousy requests from them. I'm sure I'll get bored eventually, but as long as this war's going on, and as long as Kilvas stays neutral, I'll have lots of time to relax…_ He grinned to himself and stretched his wings lazily. There was a gentle breeze blowing, and the scent of sea water had never smelled as sweet to him as it did in that peaceful moment.

A peaceful moment that was soon to be interrupted.

"Nestling! Nestling, come quick!"

Naesala groaned at the sound of his caretaker. _And I was about to fall asleep, too…_ "What is it, Nealuchi?" he mumbled.

The old crow fluttered in front of him. "Nestling, King Tibarn is here! He said he needs to speak with you! It's urgent!"

"Tibarn? Why the hell would he come here?" Naesala reluctantly stood up and began following Nealuchi back to the castle. "Unless he's come to chastise me for the Reyson incident. Or maybe he's going to beg me to join the fight against Daein. Either way, I'm not looking forward to—"

"Nestling, please. You have to remember that Prince Reyson is under the care of the hawk nation now." Nealuchi turned to him. "You have to keep relations with King Tibarn a little bit friendlier if you want to be able to spend time with the heron siblings."

Naesala rolled his eyes. _I hate it when he's right… _

Tibarn was pacing anxiously back and forth when they entered the throne room. He rushed over to Naesala and grabbed onto his shoulders, much to the raven's surprise and dislike.

"King Kilvas! What I'm about to tell you is completely confidential. I'm coming to you because I have no other choice right now, but this is really important!" he whispered in a harsh tone.

Naesala blinked for a moment. "If it's confidential, you know you're probably not coming to the right source, hawk king."

Tibarn shook his head. "It's about… Princess Leanne."

Immediately, Naesala was staring into Tibarn's face with full attention. "This doesn't sound particularly good. What's going on?"

Nealuchi moved closer to them to hear. "King Tibarn, did something happen to her?"

The hawk took a deep breath. "She's been kidnapped by Daein."

Naesala's stomach dropped, and he felt his mouth suddenly go dry. "K-kidnapped?"

"Yes. Kidnapped by a man with armor black as night," Tibarn explained. "The bastard killed one of my men and took her away. I don't even know how he managed to sneak onto the island and then flee without being detected!"

"Warp technology, perhaps?" Naesala muttered. "It's a recent beorc invention. They use magic to warp around."

"Whatever the hell it was, he's got Princess Leanne, and I need you to get her back!"

Naesala smirked. "Now, wait a minute. She was under _your_ care. Why should I have to make up for what your guards failed to do?"

Tibarn glared at him. "Because you owe the heron clan much more than this for what you pulled on Reyson. That's why."

_I suppose he does have a point there…_ Naesala sighed. "All right. You want me to go fetch Leanne for you. And what do I get out of this?"

Tibarn's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"You know. Compensation for risking my life to go rescue a rare heron from a country I used to work for and then betrayed." Naesala shrugged. "It's not going to be easy."

Nealuchi turned to him. "N-Nestling! Don't demand money from him!"

Naesala casually waved off his caretaker's remark with his hand. "Come on, hawk king! I had to leave Daein's employment before I was paid, so I think it's only proper that I receive that sum from you in exchange for rescuing Leanne."

Tibarn's mouth began twitching, as though he really wanted to protest this idea. However, he merely let out an exasperated groan.

"Fine, you greedy bastard! How much do you want?"

Naesala nodded in triumph. "I was to be paid 80,000 gold, but considering the circumstances, I'll _generously_ decrease that to 65,000 gold. Is that fine with you?"

Tibarn let out another groan and reached into a small leather pouch at his waist. He then pulled out a crumpled up bit of parchment and hastily smoothed it out with shaking hands. He grabbed a slate pencil from the pouch and wrote down the amount.

"65,000 gold it is. But _only_ if you bring the princess back! You won't receive a drop of gold until then!" the hawk shouted.

Naesala grinned. "Excellent. We have a deal, then. I'll bring Leanne back, safe and sound. Don't you worry your feathers one bit."

After the hawk king had left Kilvas, Nealuchi made sure to rebuke Naesala for his behavior.

"Nestling! How could you be so selfish when a heron royal's life is on the line? Don't you care about Princess Leanne's safety?"

"Of course I care, Nealuchi!" Naesala replied. "Why do you think I agreed to go rescue her? But I also wanted to see if I could milk a bit of gold out of this, too. Financially, we're in a bit of a lull right now."

Nealuchi shook his head. "I still think you should be a bit nicer to the hawks. We need to maintain—"

"—good relationships with the other laguz nations," Naesala finished, rolling his eyes. "Yes, Nealuchi, I know that. Believe me, the way I'm acting is _much_ nicer than I'd like to act. Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to work out a plan to rescue our darling little heron princess."

As he walked away, he finally felt the seriousness of the situation sink into his nerves.

_I know how the Daeins hate laguz. I don't know what they'd want from a heron, but it can't be good. Ashnard's not like the late fat gelatinous mass. He's not going to treat Leanne like 'art.' _

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. Images of the last time he had seen Lillia flashed through his head, and a cold sweat came over his body.

_That's right… Those bastards who kidnapped Lillia were from Daein, weren't they… Well, this makes the situation a bit more urgent, then. Leanne… I'm not going to let you end up like your sister!_

He reached his room and went onto the balcony to clear his head and think.

_Lillia was being held at Palmeni Temple, if I remember correctly. I doubt they've taken Leanne to the same place, though. I seem to remember hearing about a place in Crimea… And since Daein recently conquered Crimea, it makes sense that they would go there._

He ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, Leanne… you always did manage to get yourself into trouble when we were younger."

A few hours later he returned to the throne room with a triumphant smirk on his face. Nealuchi was waiting for him and stared at him with a puzzled expression as he entered the room.

"Nealuchi, pack your bags! We're going to Crimea!" Naesala exclaimed.

"Crimea? Why?"

"Because I'm fairly certain that's where Leanne is. I've been getting reports of laguz experimentation by Daein scholars in Crimea. I guess they decided to go there after they conquered it," he explained.

Nealuchi's face went pale at the mention of experimentations. "Goodness! We better hurry! I don't even want to imagine what they're doing to dear Princess Leanne! Do you know exactly where she is?"

Naesala shook his head. "I have some ideas, though. I'm going to send a message to our scouts in Daein to see if they've heard anything about a heron kidnapping. Meanwhile, we're going out to Crimea to see what we can find. We'll need to go in disguise."

"Right. Shall we be traveling merchants or desperate mercenaries this time?"

"Hmm, I think I have a better idea. Mercenaries would remind the Daein soldiers of the Crimean princess' merry band of hired help, and I'd prefer not to sell anything at the moment." Naesala scratched the back of his head. "I believe it's time we resurrect Nicolas and Victor."

His caretaker shook his head and covered his face. "Oh, not that, Nestling… You know last time we tried that, you almost blew your cover!"

"I did not! It was all part of the act," Naesala retorted. "Besides, a little extra flirting never hurt anyone."

"Nestling, are you sure we can't go as simple merchants instead?"

Naesala smirked. "Yes, I'm quite sure. Come on, go find that old Victor outfit. We'll leave tomorrow morning!"

The next day, two men arrived in a small southern Crimean town, one leading the other by the arm.

"Now, Grandpa, are you sure that this weather isn't bad for your health?" the younger man asked.

"Yes, my vee little boy. I'm sure. Ooh, I vonder if there are any pretty little maidens in this town?" the old man remarked.

"Grandpa! Please, not in earshot of people!" The younger man glanced around and saw that none of the surrounding townspeople seemed to have heard them. "Come on, now. I'll find us an inn where we can stay. You need to get out of this beastly weather!"

However, the old man was looking over at two young women who were standing by an apple stand, chatting casually. "Look at the lovely young vomen!" he exclaimed, wobbling over to them. "How are you today, my dears?"

One of the girls, who had her hair in a messy ponytail, giggled at the old man. "Oh, I'm doing fine. I don't think I've met you before, sir."

"Oo-hoo! She called me 'sir'! Did you hear that, Nicolas? Isn't she a lovely little voman?"

The young man ran over to them and pulled his grandfather a few feet away from the girls. "Yes, yes, they're nice, Grandpa Victor," he told the old man. Then he turned to the girls and whispered, "I'm sorry. He's getting a little… you know, senile."

"Oh, that's fine!" the ponytail girl replied. "He seems like such a friendly old man!"

"Yes, a little too friendly at times…" Then the young man smirked. "My name is Nicolas. I was wondering if there are any large castles nearby? Grandpa loves to look at old fortresses and such, and I went along with him to take care of him. You know, this could be the last time he gets to travel like this, with his health and all…" Nicolas' face dropped.

The other girl, whose hair was blonde and curly, gasped. "Oh no! I'm so sorry. But that's so sweet of you to take care of your grandfather!"

"It is!" the ponytail girl replied. "As for large castles, I think the closest one is Gritnea Tower, but I wouldn't take your grandfather there."

"How come?" asked Nicolas.

She glanced around and then lowered her voice. "I've heard that the Daein soldiers took over and have some scary monsters living there."

"Monsters? Oh, surely you don't believe any monsters come from a human country like Daein!" Nicolas suddenly turned and grabbed Victor's shoulder. "Wait, Grandpa. Don't chase after those women over there. They look like they're married."

"I only vanted to say hi, Nicolas!" the old man responded with a frown.

"Just wait here for a second, okay?" Nicolas sighed and turned his attention to the girls again. "Anyway, what do you mean by monsters?"

The curly-haired girl cowered slightly. "Well, the cobbler's son went over there a few weeks ago on his way to visit a friend in the next town, and he said that he saw a large tiger roaming around in the woods! He said it was like a subhuman, but it looks like it had rabies or something! Do subhumans even get rabies?"

"I wouldn't know. Never met one," Nicolas answered. "Well, that's interesting. I guess we'll have to stay clear of that place. Thanks for the info!"

"Oh, you're welcome!" The ponytail girl grinned. "So, how long will you be staying here, Nicolas?"

"Well, I suppose not long, since Gritnea's haunted by monsters. It's a shame. You do seem like such nice ladies." He winked at them, causing them both to giggle in embarrassment.

"Do you want to come grab a drink at the pub?" the curly-haired girl asked. "It's a little chilly, and your grandfather could probably use a rest."

"Ah, that's a tempting offer, but…" Nicolas glanced over at his grandfather, who was eyeing a girl who was pushing a wheelbarrow full of dirt through the street. "I really think we should get going and try to hit the next town before nightfall. I want Grandpa to be able to see as much as possible, you know."

"Oh, of course!" The ponytail girl nodded. "Well, good luck!"

"Thank you, ladies. Have a lovely day." Nicolas took their hands and gently kissed them before nudging his grandfather to continue down the street.

Once they were about a mile outside of town, Nicolas took off his heavy cloak and stretched his wings. "Well. That proved to be quite informative, wouldn't you say?"

Victor pulled off his cloak as well and sighed. "Indeed. I wasn't entirely paying attention, since I had to stay in character, but I caught some bits of it. It looks like this Gritnea Tower has become a place for laguz experimentation."

"Indeed." Naesala yawned and glanced up at the setting sun. "Looks like we'll have to stop for the night. I've heard of Gritnea before. It should be about two days from here, if we're able to fly without having to worry about passing humans. Either way, we'll have to fly low if we're going to avoid any guards or scouts. It's likely that a place that specializes in laguz experimentation will be able to recognize laguz ravens from normal crows."

"Two days…" Nealuchi shuddered. "Oh, Princess, I hope you're all right!"

_So do I, Nealuchi,_ Naesala thought, his eyes narrowing. _So do I… _

* * *

_About the timing for this chapter: Yes, I realize that the span of time between when Leanne was kidnapped and the Gritnea Tower battle was probably more than three days. However, let's assume that Tibarn took a while debating whether or not to come to Naesala for help, for the sake of keeping things moving along. _


	26. Chapter 26: Reunion

_I suppose all I can say about when I saw Leanne after having thought she was dead for twenty years is this: it never occurred to me that she would age during twenty years to become a young woman. With, you know, woman things…_

Chapter 26 – Reunion

Naesala and Nealuchi reached Gritnea Tower in two days, as the raven king had predicted. Fortunately, they encountered only a few beorc along the way, so they were able to travel with speed.

It was early afternoon when Naesala spotted the tower's black spires above the tree line. Even though he could not read auras like the heron tribe, he still could sense a strong evil about the place.

_I can't even imagine little Leanne in a tower like this. She's probably terrified… or she's trying to order the soldiers around. Yeah, it's probably the latter… She's a bit hardier than Lillia was._

With that thought in mind to reassure him, Naesala began concocting a plan.

"Okay, Nealuchi, I've got an idea. Since our disguise plan worked so well for gathering information, I think we'll use that method to get inside the tower."

The old crow sighed. "Nestling, I don't think we'll succeed in getting into the tower as Victor and Nicolas. The guards probably won't fall for that."

"I know. That's why I'm just going to go in by myself, under the guise of a Daein soldier," Naesala explained. "I spent enough time with them to know how they operate, so it shouldn't be too hard to blend in. We'll just find ourselves a helpless Daein scout and steal his armor."

"And what about me, Nestling?"

Naesala thought for a moment. "Hmm… Well, do you think you can serve as a distraction? I'm not sure how easy it will be for me to sneak out of the tower with a heron princess in my arms."

Nealuchi nodded. "I'll do anything to help in the rescue of Princess Leanne!"

"Excellent." Naesala grinned. "Just flutter around out of sight until you see any kind of commotion. We'll meet up back here, okay?"

"Yes, Nestling! I won't let you down." The old crow's eyes were glittering with a sense of duty.

_He's just as excited to see Leanne again as I am, I'm sure. Of course, that is, if all goes well. Just hold on, Princess!_

Naesala flew off in search of any lone, unsuspecting soldiers. He figured that there would have to be some wandering sentries circling the perimeter of the tower grounds, so he quietly made his way through the forest until he spotted the bulky black armor he needed. The halberdier was by himself, as Naesala had been hoping, and he did not seem to be too concerned about trespassers, since his lance lay on the ground next to him.

_I guess he figures that no one has the courage to come here, since there are reports of monsters here,_ he thought. _That armor's pretty thick, but I need to get him out quickly before he has the chance to cry out and draw attention._ It was then that he could faintly hear the halberdier mumbling something, so he decided to listen.

"…tired of those damn subhuman ferals running around. I know they're useful in battle, but if that Izuka fellow forgets to feed them or something? I don't think I trust 'em one bit. Izuka's pretty suspicious, too. I can't tell if he's actually a scholar or just an intelligent madman."

Naesala grinned to himself. _Well, I'm certainly glad when people talk to themselves. It sounds like this Izuka's the one in charge of the experiments. I'm sure I've heard that name before. I wonder if this soldier will tell the forest any more juicy bits of information…_

However, the soldier seemed to be finished with his rant. He bent over to pick up his lance, but Naesala was too quick for him. The raven transformed and jumped out at the halberdier, grabbing his head and snapping his neck before he could attempt to cry out. The soldier's body instantly went limp in his talons.

"That was certainly easy," Naesala muttered as he carefully took off each piece of armor and put it on himself. "Hopefully the rest of this will go just as smoothly. I'd like to be back in Kilvas by the end of the week."

He had a bit of trouble getting the torso armor to slide over his wings, so he had to press them as close to his body as possible before he succeeded in putting on the heavy black armor. Before long, he looked like any other Daein soldier.

_Ohh, this better not take long,_ Naesala thought as he picked up the halberdier's lance and began walking toward the tower. _I can feel my wings cramping already. This nonsense is so heavy… Humans certainly are weak if they need this much protection to survive._

Four guards stood at the main entrance to Gritnea Tower, and Naesala could see several more patrolling around the grounds. He noticed that several of the towers windows were open, likely for archers who watched the sky for bird laguz and pegasus knights.

_Getting out of here won't be easy… I just hope Nealuchi's up to dodging all of this. He's old, but I'm sure he's still got plenty of fight left in him._

"Ah, Private Benson! Back already, I see."

Naesala looked over at the guard who had spoken and figured that he was now Private Benson. "Yes, sir. I think I might have seen a feral out there, but I'm not sure."

The guard shuddered. "You mean one of those beasts managed to escape?"

"It could have been a wolf or something, but I just want to make sure," Naesala replied in a gruff voice, mimicking Benson as best as he could. "I'm going to go find Izuka and make sure he's keeping track of those things."

"Good luck," the guard replied. "He's been spending so much time with the heron that it's impossible to get his attention."

Naesala quickly walked past them and entered the tower, suppressing the urge to gag. _Great. They must have already starting experimenting on her… I don't even want to think about what they're doing to her. Those bastards…_

However, a strong stench hit him as soon as the gate shut behind him. Maintaining the best composure he could muster, he quickly took in his surroundings. A spiral staircase stood in the center of the tower, and the only inhabitants of the tower were soldiers and greasy-looking scholars. Naesala was about to begin wandering around the ground floor when he heard two scholars discussing Izuka.

"Master Izuka told you not to administer the potion until the beast has calmed down!" one of them told the other in a hushed voice.

"I had no other choice!" the other replied. "It was about to jump at me, and those useless soldiers were too scared to do anything about it! I had to either force the potion down its throat or be ripped to shreds!"

The first scholar shook his head. "You'll have to tell Master Izuka. That crow subhuman was one of the worst. If this ends up ruining the experiment, he'll know right away!"

Naesala shuddered and suppressed the urge to vomit at the mention of one of his own kind. _I guess it makes sense that they would experiment on ravens and hawks… I'd rather not think about it._

"Where is Master Izuka now, anyway?" the second one asked.

"Probably up with the heron. He's been up there all day," the first one muttered.

_Up. So she's somewhere up this staircase, then,_ Naesala thought. He waited a few seconds to let the scholar get a decent head start, and then he slowly followed him up the staircase. He noticed that the horrible smell faded as they climbed higher.

_I'm assuming that the stench had something to do with the laguz… They're probably being kept in the dungeons down below. Then why would Leanne be up here?_

Suddenly, the scholar in front of him stopped and cowered against the wall.

"Ah, is something wrong?" Naesala asked, hiding his slight annoyance.

The scholar looked at him with wide eyes of anxiety. "C-could you do me a favor, sir?"

_No, you slimy, pale, little—_"Why, certainly!" Naesala replied with a fake smile.

The scholar sighed. "C-can you go to Izuka and find a way to get him to come down here? I'd do it myself, but I'm too sc—I mean, I'm, er, busy."

_I get it. You don't want to tell Izuka that you messed up, so you want him to find out by accident. Humans…_ Naesala nodded. "Yes, I'll do that. Where do you think he is at the moment?"

"U-up with the 'guest'," the scholar answered. "Please, hurry!"

Naesala turned and continued to walk up the staircase. _So all I know is that Leanne is being kept up here. I guess I'll have to sniff around for someone who smells like a sun-deprived scholar, then…_

After a few minutes, he spotted a partially-opened door and decided to try that one. He glanced in and saw the back of a man with long, dark, slimy hair. Two pristine white wings at the far side of the room caught his attention.

_That's her_, he thought. The man was blocking his view, but he knew those wings could only belong to a heron. _I think I'll pay this room a little visit. _He casually walked in and asked in a gruff voice, "Is there a problem?"

The man jumped and turned to him. His wrinkled face was whiter than Leanne's wings, and his eyes were large, as though they had become accustomed to working in the dark. "Wh-what are you doing here? Who do you think you are, coming in and interrupting me while I'm thinking? Whee!"

_Hm, now how to get him out of here…_ Naesala kept a serious face and replied, "I'm, you know… Here to relieve you on guard duty." _Really, Naesala? That was the best you could come up with?_

The man, whom Naesala had already come to assume was Izuka, blinked curiously. "Guard duty? Oh, you silly soldiers and your rules and regulations. Not that we need a guard in here, anyway." He scratched the back of his head, causing a shower of dandruff to fall out. "All you soldiers have taken over this tower here, not to mention all of the feral ones running about. Escaping from here would be like suicide!"

Naesala mentally grinned. "Then someone needs to stand guard here."

"Whee! Who said that?" Izuka looked around before once again resting his eyes on Naesala. "Oh, it was you. Why do you say that?"

_For a scholar he certainly doesn't seem very quick-witted…_ He shrugged. "Well, you know. If she tries to escape from here then she'll be killed, won't she?"

The scholar gasped. "Whee! You found the blind spot! That's the problem with us scholars, you know. We focus on one thing and then miss something impor—"

A loud screech suddenly erupted from somewhere below, shaking the tower.

_Seems like that scholar's mistake has gotten out of hand,_ Naesala thought.

"Goodness, whee! Those silly beasts have gotten riled up again." Izuka shook his head. "You, stand here and watch her! We need to have guards around here!"

Naesala saluted. "Sir." _Wow, I never thought it would be so easy to get inside a scholar's head. Even the smartest humans are severely lacking in intelligence… _

Then Izuka slowly made his way out of the room, mumbling incoherently until he shut the door behind him. Now that they were alone, Naesala was finally able to get a good look at Leanne. He had to keep himself from showing his shock, and he was very glad that his helmet had a visor.

_She's… she's a woman!_

Leanne had grown up over the last twenty years, looking much more mature than the little girl he remembered. Her blonde, curly hair now cascaded down to her thighs. Naesala's eyes traveled down her body, following its new curves and elegant length. She was wearing a white, fitted dress that reminded him of the kind of clothing Lillia used to wear.

_No way… This is the same Leanne who would make me escort her through the forest? She's become so beautiful! This is like something in a dream!_

Then he realized that she was probably trying to read his soul, so he quickly regained his composure. "Hello there," he said casually.

She stared at him nervously, as though she was confused as to why he seemed so familiar.

_Well, it _has_ been twenty years,_ he thought with a smile. "No need to be frightened. Just stay put and be quiet for now."

She opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it and sighed, instead looking out the window longingly. Naesala was relieved to see that she was unharmed.

_Now, how shall we sneak out of here… I seem to remember there being a side entrance when I first walked in, but we'll have to wait until Nealuchi's distraction before we can even leave this room._

Another loud shriek burst out from below. Naesala saw Leanne shudder and hug her knees to her chest.

"Nothing to be afraid of," he repeated softly. He wanted to go over and comfort her, but he also didn't know when someone would be coming around to check on the heron.

However, he could hear more shrieks now, along with soldiers shouting.

_Ah, so Nealuchi's working his magic now._ He grinned and walked over to Leanne. "All right, my lady, it's time to go." Bending over slightly, he put his arms under her back and legs and easily picked her up. She did not protest; she only looked at him with confused eyes.

Soon he was trotting down the long staircase, inwardly cursing the loud clanking of his armor.

_Well, maybe it will blend in with whatever chaos is going on down below._

When they reached the ground floor, however, Naesala noticed that the soldiers were scurrying around, shouting out orders to fend off some sort of attack.

"Release the ferals!" someone yelled.

Suddenly, the smell from earlier grew especially strong, and the screeching was growing louder. Soon, a tiger laguz with matted fur and white, crazed eyes burst out from the basement level. It was followed by three cats and a raven.

Naesala heard Leanne gasp in horror. _I better get her out of here now. I'd rather not know what those laguz will do if they're sent against someone. Now I see what that crazed scholar meant by "suicide…"_ He rushed away from the main foyer and wandered around until he found another door. A slight draft coming in from under the door told him that it was an outside door, so he quickly unlatched it and ran outside.

The smell instantly faded once the fresh air hit his nose. Glancing around, he noticed that the guard was extremely weak, so he slipped through the trees and slowly made his way through the woods. Leanne continued to remain quiet, looking around at the plants they passed.

_Now we just have to get far enough away to avoid any scouts from finding us,_ Naesala though. _Although I can't shake the feeling that we're being followed right now… _

* * *

_This is weird because I already used this scene in _Clipped Wings_, but now I have to rewrite it sans Lucrezia. Oh well. It's still one of my favorite moments in the game. I had to split it up because it was getting loooooooong, so instead you get this lovely cliffhanger. Yay. Time to see if I can finish up this arc before I head back to college... Hah._


	27. Chapter 27: Young Lady

_I knew all about ladies and lady things from a young age. I had eyed plenty of young women before and flirted with several more women. But for some reason, it was different with Leanne. I think it's because Leanne was a little girl in the body of a very attractive woman, and she didn't know it._

Chapter 27 – Young Lady

Naesala continued to carry Leanne through the woods in silence until he found a large clearing about a mile away from the tower. Then he stopped to catch his breath and set her down.

_This damn armor is getting too heavy… Besides, we're in the opposite direction from Nealuchi's distraction, so they shouldn't come out looking this far._

Leanne stepped lightly onto the dirt and fluttered her wings to stretch them out.

Naesala sighed. "Well, I thought that place was odd when I snuck in there, but that was just _creepy_. What's with all those crazed laguz wandering around, anyway?

Leanne shuddered. "I'm scared of them. I'm scared of the laguz and of the beorc in that tower," she whispered in the old tongue, eyeing his armor curiously.

"Ah, you don't like this? Neither do I. My wings are getting far too cramped in here." He pulled off his disguise and grinned. "This looks much better, don't you think?" Then he knelt down and kissed her hand.

However, Leanne's reaction was much less tame. As soon as he stood up again, she squealed and jumped at him to hug him, and the force of her tackle was so strong that they both fell over into the grass.

"Naesala! I can't believe it's you! I'm so happy to see you again!" She was squeezing him hard, much the way she used to do when they were much younger.

Naesala felt his face grow warm as he felt her mature body against his. _Leanne… you're a little too old for this… She has breasts now… Oh, goddess…_ He quickly sat her up and regained his composure. "Y-yes, Leanne, it's been far too long. Although as you can see, I'm still quite handsome, aren't I?"

She giggled. "Very handsome! And I'm still pretty, right?"

Naesala felt himself blushing, though he had no idea why. "Of course you are! You know, Leanne… I'm really happy you survived the massacre. It's great to see you again."

"You rescued me from those nasty men! Thank you so much, Naesala!" She hugged him again, though it was a much milder hug than before. "You know, I had a feeling that it was you, but you've gotten so much older that I couldn't tell for sure." She let go of him and scanned him over again, nodding with approval. "But you're still my Naesala!"

Suddenly, a shrieking sound interrupted their conversation. Naesala turned just in time to see a raven laguz diving toward them. He quickly grabbed on to Leanne and flew out of the way before the raven could touch them.

"Damn, it must have followed us," he muttered. He looked at it closely to and felt a sinking feeling in his gut. The raven was a male, but his feathers were grimy and his eyes were glowing a sickly white.

"Wh-why is he like that?" Leanne gasped. "S-so much pain… I can sense so much confusion and agony." She clenched his jacket and buried herself against his chest.

"It's all right, Leanne. I've got you." Naesala sighed and turned his attention back to the raven. "It's you, isn't it. Tiko."

The raven screeched and began shaking its head back and forth, as though he was trying to shake something off.

"Y-you know him?" Leanne asked breathlessly.

"Yes. Leanne, I'm going to put you in a tree, and once I do, don't look," he whispered.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"It's not… going to be pretty." He carefully set her down in a nearby oak. "You'll be safe here. Just don't look, okay?"

She nodded and shut her eyes, clinging to the branch.

Tiko sprang up and flew toward them, but Naesala was too fast. He transformed and tackled Tiko down to the ground again.

"Tiko! Can you hear me?" he called. "Whatever they've been doing to you has made you crazy."

However, Tiko let out a cry and flew back at Naesala, his eyes wide in a crazed rage. His talons opened as he tried to grab Naesala's wings, but the raven king was too fast. He bit Tiko's left wing, wounding it just enough that the other raven could no longer keep himself in the air. He landed with a loud crash, shrieking in anger and pain.

Naesala quickly flew toward him and pinned him down. "Tiko, answer me! What is going on?"

Tiko merely shook his head and flailed his legs, managing to scrape Naesala in the chest before the older raven head butted him back down.

_He's gotten a little stronger, that's for sure,_ Naesala thought as he shook off the pain. _But it's as though he can't focus it._

Tiko suddenly shuddered and began writhing in agony. His body began reverting to his human form, and soon a raven boy in ragged clothing appeared under Naesala's talons.

"K-king Naesala," he gasped. "P-poison. I c-can't control…" His stomach lurched, but Naesala continued to hold him down.

"They put some kind of poison in you that's turned you into a crazed fighting machine," Naesala muttered. "I understand now. Feral laguz, trapped in their true forms, reduced to mere animals." He groaned in disgust. "Only a human would think of something like that."

"I-I don't have much time, s-sir," Tiko whispered. "I can't hold back… much longer. I'm using everything… to stay like this…" He let out a shriek and his body shook violently.

"I'm assuming the others met a similar fate," Naesala remarked. "I told you, didn't I?"

"Y-you were right," Tiko wheezed. "The humans… they're all bad… They kidnapped us all, even… even Vika. I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize to me. It was your decision."

Tiko nodded. "I can't hold off… much longer. Please, s-sir… Make it quick."

"I understand." Naesala sighed. "Rest in peace, Tiko."

Tiko smiled faintly before he suddenly transformed into his raven form, struggling against the raven king's grip. Naesala quickly bit down on his neck to silence him. His body lurched one more time before finally going limp.

_Oh, those idiots. I warned them._ Naesala returned to his human form and wiped the blood off of his hands. _Well, Nealuchi's not going to like the sound of this. Humans are such bastards._

"N-naesala? Is everything okay now?"

Naesala turned to the shivering heron girl in the tree. "It's all right, Leanne. I'm coming for you. You might want to keep your eyes shut, though. It's a bit messy." He flew up to her, grabbing her from the tree and carrying her off a few yards until they were clear of the battle site.

Leanne opened her eyes and let out a deep sigh. "That was so scary… I could hear all these terrible sounds."

"Yes, well, it was bad. But everything's fine now." He put her down and stretched, but a sudden wince reminded him of the minor wound he had obtained in the battle. He glanced down and noticed that it was bleeding slowly.

Leanne spotted it and gasped. "Oh, Naesala! You're hurt! Are you all right?"

"It's fine, Leanne. Just a little flesh wound. I've had much worse."

However, Leanne pulled back his jacket so she could get a better look at it. The cut extended across the lower right side of his abdomen. She shuddered at the sight of the blood.

"Leanne, it's really not that bad. If it bothers you, don't look at it," he mumbled.

She looked up at him and frowned. "B-but, it's bleeding!" Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and put a hand over the wound. It glowed softly, and Naesala could feel the pain lessening.

"Ah, right. I forgot that the herons have healing powers," he remarked.

The glowing ceased, and Leanne took her hand away. The wound was still there, but it was much smaller, and it had stopped bleeding.

"Oh, I didn't get it all the way…" Her shoulders slumped.

Naesala smiled. "Don't worry about it. It feels much better than it did. Besides, it's the thought that counts."

She grinned. "Okay! Well, I'm glad it feels better!"

He began to close up his jacket, but her hands quickly shot out and stopped him.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he asked, his face beginning to grow red.

She stared intently at his chest before asking, "What are those? All those bumps on your chest?"

Naesala smirked. "Why, these are my excellent muscles. You get these when you're really strong, like me."

"Really?" Leanne's eyes lit up, and she grabbed onto the front of her dress. Suddenly, she pulled it down, revealing her completely exposed—

Naesala yelped and turned around, covering his eyes. "L-leanne! Y-you can't do that!"

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently. "I'm just checking to see if I have any of those muscles. Do you see any? And why did you turn around?"

"Young ladies aren't supposed to… well, you know. Take off their clothes. Some man will mistake that for meaning something else that you're probably too young to know about, and well…" He sighed and faced her again, only to realize that her front was still naked. He tried to avoid looking at them, but he couldn't help himself.

_She actually has breasts. Mature breasts. Nicely-sized breasts. Not scary like that Petrine's breasts… Breasts… I can't stop staring at her breasts…_

"Naesala, why are you staring at these? Is something wrong with them?"

He shook his head. "N-no, they're perfect… Uh, p-perfectly fine! Y-you should put your clothes back on before someone walks in on this and mistakes it for something else, okay?"

Leanne was still confused, but she slipped her dress back on, anyway. "You're so silly, Naesala. Your face is really red! You're not getting sick, are you?"

"Nope." He sighed and then chuckled. _She looks like she's aged into a young woman, but deep down inside, she's still a fledgling, after all._ He closed up his jacket before any further potentially misleading situations could occur. "Well, I suppose we should go find Nealuchi now and get out of here."

"Nealuchi? Sir Nealuchi's here, too?" A large grin spread across her face. "I can't wait to see him again!"

"Oh, I'm sure he feels the same way," he replied. The sound of flapping wings overhead caught his attention, but when he looked up he saw his old caretaker flying toward them.

"Nestling! I've found you!" Nealuchi called. "And Princess Leanne is here, too!" He landed and took Leanne's hands in his. "Princess, it's so good to see you again!"

"Sir Nealuchi!" She giggled and threw her arms around him. "I've missed you so much!"

"Oho, you have the same spark as ever!" he remarked with a chuckle. When she let go of him, he looked into her face and sighed. "Oh, you look just like your dear, departed mother…" His eyes began to tear up.

Naesala rolled his eyes. "Stop sniffling, Nealuchi. We should probably get out of here soon."

"I don't know about that, Nestling." Nealuchi frowned. "I didn't have to do anything to distract the guards. The Crimean Liberation Army is fighting them at this very minute!"

Naesala blinked. "The Crimean mercenaries? What are they doing here?"

Nealuchi shook his head. "I'm not really sure, but I do know that I saw Tibarn among them."

"Tibarn!" Leanne smiled. "Naesala, Tibarn is here, too! We should go say hi to him!"

"Oh great…" Naesala groaned. "Well, if I have to report to Tibarn after all, I might as well do it here. That should save us a trip to Phoenicis, anyway."

"We might as well help them fight, too—"

"Please, Nealuchi, I'd rather not." Naesala gestured toward Leanne. "Besides, someone has to stay here and protect the lovely princess, right? Let's just wait around until the fighting is over, and then we'll complete the mission."

The old crow shrugged. "I suppose that is best."

Leanne twirled around and sat down on the grass. "I'm so happy! I've been rescued, and I get to see my raven friends again!"

Naesala grinned. "You know, Leanne, you should really come visit Kilvas some time. You've never been there before, have you?"

She shook her head. "I would love to go, though! And you can visit Reyson and me in Phoenicis! Tibarn would love it, I'm sure!"

"Eh, I don't know about that…"

Leanne frowned. "You don't like Tibarn, do you? I remember when we were little, you always seemed annoyed when he was around."

Nealuchi chuckled. "The Nestling may look grown up, but deep down inside, he's still a stubborn little nestling."

"I'm not a nestling, Nealuchi!" Naesala huffed. "Tibarn's just very annoying. That's all."

Another half hour passed, during which Leanne told Naesala all about how happy she was to see people again, and about how she wished she could understand everyone when they talked in the new tongue, and about how Uncle Janaff always talked about how becoming she looked now.

"What does that mean, Naesala?" she asked suddenly. "Becoming?"

"It means you're pretty," Naesala muttered, hiding his red face. _Damn, that hawk better keep his talons off of her. She's way too good for him!_

"I'm pretty? Of course I'm pretty." She giggled.

Nealuchi fluttered up to look over the battlefield. He motioned to Naesala.

"All right, Leanne, looks like it's time to go meet up with the others." He gently picked her up. "Hold on tight, now!"

"Okay!" She slipped her arms around his shoulders and leaned against him.

As he took off toward the tower, he suddenly realized that he was going to be giving up yet another heron to Tibarn. _I should just fly off with her and run away somewhere… Wait, I don't understand. Leanne's my childhood friend. I'm just friends. She just grew into a young lady. That's it!_

_

* * *

_

_Wow, I do apologize for the long wait. This semester was a lot busier than I'd thought, but at least I've got time/motivation to write again! I don't know when the next update will be, though. Anyway, some day I'll probably find some other thing to use besides boob jokes... I changed things up a little bit from the original to make it interesting, but the basic stuff is still happening. Hooray, almost done with the PoR arc. Radiant Dawn is more angsty and fun. FUN._


	28. Chapter 28: Change of Allegiance

_I already knew of Ashnard's cruelty from what I saw with Lillia, so the events in Gritnea Tower didn't shock me too much. However, I still found myself joining in a seemingly suicidal fight against Ashnard, thanks to a certain young heron princess who could have probably won the war alone by changing Ashnard's mind with her pouty, puppy-dog face._

Chapter 28 – Change of Allegiance

Naesala, Leanne, and Nealuchi soon reached Gritnea Tower. Signs of a difficult battle were evident in the multitude of corpses that lay on the ground.

"Do you think they went inside?" Nealuchi asked. "I don't see them anywhere."

"I suppose they did." Naesala sighed. "Well, back into the tower we go." He continued to carry Leanne so that she would not have to worry about accidently stepping on a battle casualty.

"I will stay out here in case they come out before you find them," Nealuchi told him. "Good luck, Nestling!"

Many of the torches in the tower had been extinguished during the skirmish, so it was hard for Naesala to see. However, a flash of white in the distance soon caught his eye.

_Oh, Reyson's here, too. Well, this is perfect. He'll see that I saved his sister, and then maybe he won't hate me so much._

Reyson was standing next to Tibarn, along with a cat laguz, who Naesala remembered was named Ranulf, and a blue-haired beorc.

"I don't see her anywhere," the beorc told them. As Naesala got a better look at him, he realized that this young man was the commander of the Crimean Liberation Army.

_So this is the one who's been giving Daein so much trouble. He looks like a fledgling,_ Naesala thought. Then he loudly cleared his throat and called out, "I think I have what you're looking for right here."

Everyone turned, and there were a few audible gasps.

"Naesala?" Reyson stared at him for a moment in confusion, but then his eyes lit up when he saw Leanne in the raven's arms.

"Reyson and Tibarn!" Leanne exclaimed. She hopped down and ran over to her brother, giving him a big hug.

"Oh, Leanne! I'm so glad you're safe!" Reyson eagerly returned the hug.

The beorc commander frowned. "Wait, _you_ rescued her?"

Naesala sighed. "Listen, and listen good. I just did it because Tibarn told me to, okay? It was all to repay a bit of a… debt that I owed." He could see Leanne looking at him strangely out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored it. _I don't want people to think that I'll willingly help out that hawk king. And the smell of cat is really starting to bother me. Better cut this short._

"Well done, Naesala," Tibarn muttered. "You'll receive the rest of your payment later."

The sudden compliment from Tibarn struck a nerve in Naesala. "Flatter me all you want. You won't get anything in return, hawk king." He shrugged. "Well, if that's it, then I think I'll be heading back home."

Tibarn's eyes widened. "Why the rush? You may as well stay here and help us in the fight against Daein."

His jaw nearly dropped. _Is he _crazy_? It's bad enough that I got Leanne away from the soldiers. Now I'm supposed to fight against my former employers?_ He shook his head. "No thanks. I'd prefer to keep my life intact, thank you."

Leanne's eyes began to well up. "But, Naesala! Why don't you want to help Reyson and Tibarn?"

_Oh no. Don't use the crying technique, Leanne. Don't look at her. She's just trying to guilt you into it._ Naesala took a deep breath. "Listen, Leanne. I have no good reason to fight against the king of Daein."

"No good reason?" Reyson shouted. "What about the ravens in this tower? The king has warped them and turned them into something horrible! Didn't you see them?"

"Of course I saw them," Naesala replied calmly. "But, see, they all left Kilvas for their own reasons. I no longer have any responsibility toward them."

Reyson clenched his fists, but a voice from behind him interrupted the argument before it could proceed any further.

"Commander Ike, I hate to interrupt, but I have something I think you must see." A light-haired dragon laguz walked up to the group, a look of concern on his face.

The beorc, Ike, turned toward him. "What is it, Nasir?"

"There is a hidden staircase… Follow me." He turned and beckoned for all of them to follow.

_As tempting as it is for me to just slip away, from the sound of that dragon's voice, this can't be good,_ Naesala thought. He walked close behind Leanne.

As they came closer to the staircase, Naesala realized that what he had thought was Ranulf's body odor was actually something else. The stench grew to be more like that of decay.

"It smells really bad," Leanne whispered, turning her head to him. "I don't like it."

"Leanne, why don't you hold my hand?" Naesala replied. "I'm not sure what we're going to find down there."

She gratefully nodded and slipped a delicate hand into his. Naesala noticed that her hand was a bit tense, as though she was scared, so he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Soon, they reached the doorway to a long staircase. Nasir went in first, followed by Ike and Ranulf, and then the others.

"What is this smell?" Ike asked cautiously. Naesala had forgotten that beorc senses are slower than those of laguz.

"…Corruption," was all Nasir told him.

When they reached the bottom of the staircase, Naesala suddenly realized what they were going to see. The smell was beginning to remind him of how Kilvas smelled during the height of the blood pact's wrath._ The smell of death._ "Leanne, you better stay with me. And you don't want to look at it."

She stared at him in curiosity. "Is it scary?"

"Get some light in here," Ike ordered.

Nasir lit a torch and waved it over the room.

Naesala quickly covered Leanne's eyes and pulled her closer to him. "Yeah, I guess you could say it's scary."

The corpses of several laguz lay scattered on the floor. The room was a small series of prisons, with rusted bars forming cages in various sections of the area. Some of the bodies were transformed, but others were still in their human forms. All of them were dirty and covered in flies, and many of them bore frightening wounds.

"What… what is this, Nasir?" Ranulf asked breathlessly.

"They were laguz… once," the dragon answered, his eyes drawn in disgust.

Reyson covered his mouth and began to shake. Naesala was about to reach out to him, but Tibarn was already there, putting an arm around the heron.

_Naturally._ He sighed and made sure that Leanne was still unable to see.

"Why is everyone so horrified?" Leanne asked softly. "I can feel it in everyone. Whatever it is, it's terrible."

Tibarn glanced back and seemed relieved that Naesala was covering her eyes. "Come on, I think we've seen enough. Let's get out of here."

They returned to where they had set up camp. Naesala decided to follow to make sure that Reyson was okay. By this point, the sun was already very low in the sky.

_So I guess I don't have much choice. I can't exactly fly back to Kilvas at this time of day._

He was standing near Reyson's tent, waiting for Tibarn to leave. Nealuchi came up behind him and patted his shoulder.

"Nestling, I heard about what you saw in the tower," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

Naesala sighed. "I'm fine, Nealuchi. Nothing really surprises me anymore. The smell just brought back a few unpleasant memories. I'm more concerned about Reyson."

"Well, King Tibarn is with him now. I'm sure he'll be fine."

Naesala shot him a quick glare.

Nealuchi gulped. "I-I mean, the prince has been through a lot. He's gotten much stronger."

"That's true." He began jingling the pouch of money that Tibarn had given him upon reaching the camp. "Well, let's get some rest here and then slip away when we get the chance."

Nealuchi frowned. "You're not going to help them defeat Daein?"

Naesala groaned. "Not you, too… Look, while the Daein army might have its little problems, King Ashnard is not one to mess with. They're going to be marching against the capital, where Ashnard is, and they're going to try to defeat him. It's all stupid, if you ask me."

"Oh, Nestling. I figured you'd say something like that." He shook his head. "I still think you should do something for the good of your fellow laguz. Ah, but I also know that you won't listen to me."

At this point Tibarn was finally leaving the tent, so Naesala waved off his caretaker and slipped in past the door flaps. Reyson was sitting on his cot, resting his head in one hand, while Leanne was standing up and braiding her hair. She smiled at the raven as he entered.

"Hey, Reyson. How are you doing?" Naesala asked. "You didn't look so good in that tower."

Reyson looked up at him. "Oh, Naesala. I'm doing a little better now." He stood up and took a deep breath. "I must thank you for keeping Leanne from seeing it. I don't think she would have handled it well."

"I know how you herons are with blood and such," Naesala muttered.

Leanne bounded over to him. "Naesala! Since you're here, does that mean you're going to help us?"

"Help? Goddess, can't you all leave me alone about that?"

Leanne frowned. "But, Naesala! You have to help! If we defeat that evil king, then the laguz will be happy again!"

"Look, Kilvas really can't afford to be in a war right now. We already had some fairly substantial losses with the Daein contract," Naesala replied.

"Naesala!" Reyson stood up. "Do you really only care about yourself? Why don't you want to help your brothers and sisters?"

"I'm thinking about _Kilvas_, Reyson. The money's not exactly flowing right now, and we're still recovering from being in Daein for so long."

Reyson rolled his eyes. "I'm _sure_ that you'll be compensated somehow if you help. Besides, your men have had several months to recover, and you'll be with the combined forces of the hawks, beasts, and beorc."

Leanne grabbed onto his jacket. "Please, Naesala? I'd be so happy if you helped. Those men were so mean to me."

He found himself trapped by her puppy-dog eyes. _Dammit, they must have told her to use her little charms on me. They always work…_ He groaned. "Fine. I'll help. It's a suicide mission, and if it looks like it's going to fail, I promise you that Kilvas will pull out of it faster than you can blink. But I'll send a message to my captain and let him know that Kilvas is joining the Crimean Liberation Army. For now."

Leanne squealed. "I _knew_ you would do it!" She gave him a quick hug and then hopped outside to go tell Tibarn.

Naesala shook his head. "This is so stupid…"

"Naesala, just think of what could happen if this works. Ashnard is the enemy of the laguz," Reyson told him. "Laguz-beorc relations will improve drastically!"

"If you say so," he muttered. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have to go get the Kilvas army over here." He left the tent and ignored Nealuchi's knowing smirk.

The next day Naesala found himself flying toward Melior, the capital of Crimea. He figured that Milo and the others would be catching up to them by nightfall, and the army would reach the capital the next day. The rest of the hawk army was also on its way, along with some reinforcements from the beast tribes.

As Naesala had predicted, Milo reached their camp shortly after they had stopped for the night.

"Sir, we're all here and ready to go," the captain reported. "Also, if you're concerned about morale, don't be. Everyone's very excited to fight off the soldiers we all secretly picked on while we were working with them."

"Excellent," Naesala replied. "It's good to know that former employment doesn't matter. Now, I'm not sure what kind of payment we'll be receiving for this, if any. If it starts to look bad, we're pulling out and returning home."

"Very good, sir."

Naesala nodded. "All right, you guys rest up. I'll give you more orders when I find out what the battle plan is. Not like I plan on completely following a plan set up by that hawk king, of course. You may leave."

Milo grinned and fluttered off, while Nealuchi came toward him.

"Nestling, look over there." He motioned over to Naesala's left, where Tibarn, Reyson, and Ike were talking. "It looks like they're discussing battle plans for tomorrow. You should join them."

"Nealuchi, I'd rather not. Besides, I'm pretty sure that the hawk king doesn't really want my help, anyway. He's been avoiding me all day, which is perfectly fine with me." He tried to walk off, but Nealuchi grabbed his arm.

"King Tibarn might not care, but I know Prince Reyson and Princess Leanne would. They want you to be here. Look, the prince is there."

"So?"

Nealuchi chuckled. "Princess Leanne _especially_ wants you here. She's been telling me about how happy she is that you're helping in the fight against Ashnard. If you do decide to pull out at the last minute, which I'm sure you're secretly planning on doing, her little heart would be so broken."

Naesala found himself blushing. "Wh-what are you talking about, Nealuchi? I don't think she'd care that much, either!"

However, the old crow merely walked off, laughing to himself.

_Dammit. He knows that I'd do anything for the herons… He's probably figured out that I can't resist Leanne. But I don't know why he's insinuating that I have… Ugh, Leanne is my childhood friend! That's it!_ He grumbled and walked over to where the meeting was taking place.

"Ah, King Kilvas. We were just discussing the plans for tomorrow," Ike explained. "It looks like our best bet is for both of the bird tribes to take to the air and guard the western side, fighting off any airborne enemies and reinforcements. How does that sound?"

"Sounds lovely," Naesala replied. He realized that this was the first chance he had gotten to look over the young commander up close. He noticed something familiar about the boy's face, but he could not place what it was.

"Is something wrong, Naesala?" Reyson asked.

"No, nothing. I was just envisioning how everything would go." He turned to the heron prince. "And what's Reyson going to do?"

"Keep himself from being killed and use his song to revive the tired soldiers," Tibarn muttered, giving Reyson a stern glance. "I don't particularly like the idea, but Reyson insists."

"Well, if Reyson insists, then there's nothing you can do about it," Naesala replied, flashing Reyson a quick grin. "So, we guard the west and defeat the flying units. It's a simple enough plan."

"If you promise to fight with us, King Kilvas, then I promise you will be compensated," Ike told him. "Elincia is already planning on working to restore relations between beorc and laguz. She is very grateful for everyone's help."

It was the determination in the young beorc's eyes that finally triggered something in Naesala's memory. He nodded. "If that's all, then I will go relay the plan to my men. Good night." With that, he turned and went back to his tent.

_Of course. He's got his mother's hair and his father's courage. That fledgling beorc is the child of Elena and Gawain._ He smiled as he remembered the two beorc who had helped him escape Palmeni Temple all those years ago. The two beorc who were risking much to help Lillia be as comfortable as possible in her despair. _Well, those two are probably the only humans I've ever had any kind of respect for. I'll repay that debt and help your son._

* * *

_Happy (somewhat late) New Year! You get a long chapter that actually carries the plot forward. Hurrah! Ahh, one more chapter (or two) before the PoR arc is DONE! I'm very excited. As always, I don't know when the next update will be. I made sure to get this one up before classes begin again, so that you'll have something to keep you going until I have time to write more. Also, yay for not mentioning Ena because I never really cared about her in the first place._


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